Zoning Reform Ideas

[afransen]

Lowering development fees / restructuring municipal finances

• they say only possible if they are alternate revenue streams for cities besides fees, development charges and property taxes for all municipal funding
  • some ideas they float are: getting a portion of HST generated in city back, putting road infrastructure fees on cars instead of housing
• Ontario Home Builders advisor says of $1.3 million avg house 500k is in government fees (taxes, charges, fees, etc.). Moffat mentions development charges have increased from 5k to 100k in 20 years.

I am partial to just funding development out of the property tax base. But if that is politically difficult, I could see having municipalities finance those development charges and amortizing them over 15-25 years as a surcharge to property taxes on the new units.

 

[rdaner]

Interesting.

4-storey stacked townhouses permitted on London 'neighbourhood connector' streets

A majority of council has ruled that London’s Official Plan should be changed to permit four-storey stacked townhouses on neighbourhood connector streets across the city.

london.ctvnews.ca