TOWN OF VIEW ROYAL COUNCIL REPORT: SUBDIVISION AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICING BYLAW AMENDMENTS
Staff report recommending housekeeping updates to the Subdivision and Development Servicing Bylaw 985, including the appointment of a Servicing Officer.
TOWN OF VIEW ROYAL COUNCIL REPORT
TO: Council
DATE: March 21, 2025
FROM: Ivan Leung, P.Eng, Director of Engineering
MEETING DATE: April 15, 2025
SUBDIVISION AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICING BYLAW AMENDMENTS
RECOMMENDATION:
THAT the March 21, 2025 report titled “Subdivision and Development Bylaw Amendments” be received for information.
ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS:
Option #2: Council may provide additional direction to staff regarding the amendments. However, time is of the essence for many of the staff recommended changes. Therefore, other opportunities to make additional changes should follow the completion of the Town’s engineering master plans (2025 and 2026).
BACKGROUND:
Amendments to the Subdivision and Development Servicing Bylaw 985 (“Bylaw 985”) were last done in 2019. Staff recommend the following “housekeeping” updates to Bylaw 985 in order for Engineering to maintain development related customer service, and align with updated bylaws, provincial regulations, design standards and Strategic Planning:
Bill 16 Appointment of Servicing Officer As of Jan. 30, 2025, the Local Government Act contained new provisions that created the role of a “Servicing Officer” who can require an owner of land to provide, as a condition of building permit, land (without compensation) for highway use and alternative forms of transportation. The role is established by bylaw. Staff recommend that the Director of Engineering be designated the role of the Servicing Officer.
Stormwater Management Three updates are recommended:
- Update Intensity, Duration, Frequency curve (Bylaw 985 references a very old version);
- Clarify hydraulic calculation requirements including disclosure of climate change factors used;
- General housekeeping updates as the Bylaw references an old version of the standard design guidelines.
Sanitary Sewer Servicing Include a new clause to require new developments of older lots to replace sanitary laterals on private property. Other regional municipalities are adopting similar requirements to reduce inflow and infiltration issues (I&I) especially considering the anticipated densification of single-family dwelling lots that will put additional loading onto the system.
Latecomer Charge Calculation of Interests Include a clause on the set interest rate (required by bylaw pursuant to the Local Government Act). Calculation of Latecomer interest was previously within the old Land Use Bylaw and was never re-implemented.
ANALYSIS:
Impacts and implications can be summarized as follows:
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Community Impact: | Servicing Officer – this role is important for administering SSMUH projects as there were no mechanisms to require road dedication at building permit prior to the new legislation. Some road corridors require dedication to service SSMUH developments in accordance with the Bylaw. Stormwater Management and Sanitary Sewer Servicing – amendments are recommended to protect the capacity of the Town’s existing underground infrastructure, especially in light of climate change factors and urban densification that may occur in the future from the Provincial Housing Bills. Latecomer Charge Calculation of Interests – staff are recommending a 5% interest charge for latecomer payments which is generally consistent with the prime lending rate of the Principal Banker to the Province of British Columbia (which is currently set at 5.45% but not anticipated to vary much year over year). |
| Financial Implication: | Servicing Officer – there are substantial financial benefits with appointing a Servicing Officer, the predominant being the ability to require road dedication without Town compensation needed. Stormwater Management and Sanitary Sewer Servicing – efforts to protect the capacity of the drain and sewer systems will help reduce the financial burden of costly upgrades. There are no financial implications to the Town regarding latecomer interest charges or minor changes to the supplemental drawings. |
ALIGNMENT:
The recommended option aligns with the Town’s following core guiding documents as follows:
| Document | Alignment |
|---|---|
| Strategic Plan: | Priority B, Goal 1a: Managed growth anticipated to line up with the Town’s OCP update. Priority D, Goal 1: Confidence in the fiscal health and financial sustainability of the Town. |
| Official Community Plan: | N/A |
| Other Policy Documents: | N/A |
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION GOAL:
The desired level of public participation for the recommended option is:
- Inform
- Consult
- Involve
- Collaborate
- Empower
- N/A
TIME CRITICAL:
Time is of the essence in order to maintain customer service to Town residents and the development community, especially since SSMUH housing development is beginning to occur within the Town.
| CONCURRENCE: | Initials | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Chief Administrative Officer | SS | I concur with the recommendation. |
| REVIEWED BY: | Initials |
|---|---|
| Director of Corporate Administration/Deputy CAO | NR |
| Director of Finance & Technology | NR |
| Director of Development Services | NR |
| Director of Engineering | IL |
| Director of Protective Services | NR |
ATTACHMENTS:
- Bylaw 985, 2017 – Tracked changes showing proposed amendments
- Amendment Bylaw 1152 – A Bylaw to Amend the Subdivision and Development Servicing Bylaw 985, 2017
Document Images
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