Barrie should fund growth across Simcoe County: Wasaga Beach mayor

By Laurie Watt Barrie Today

Barrie should be pitching in to help fund growth in Simcoe County, says Wasaga Beach Mayor Brian Smith.

As Simcoe County councilors took a first look at proposed updated development charges, Smith noted that almost 70 percent of the higher charges that new home buyers will face relate to roads.

“All roads lead to Barrie,” said Smith, as council examined rates that will rise about $2,000 per unit.

Hemson Consulting’s Craig Binning outlined rates: $9,346 for single family and detached homes, $7,748 for row homes and $5,275 for apartments. Any charges imposed by the local municipality such as Springwater, Innisfil or Essa add to that cost.

If approved, the new charges would boost single-family home rates in the county to a new range that includes $13,125 in Tiny Township at the low end to a high of $47,523 in Bradford West Gwillimbury.

The proposed county rates will be up for discussion with developers and other stakeholders at an April 29 session. The public can have a say at the statutory public meeting May 10.

County councilors will then further discuss the proposed rates and approve a new development charges bylaw in June. The current bylaw, passed in 2012 and valid for five years, expires Sept. 1.

The two largest cost drivers pushing up development charges are transportation and affordable housing.

The county has a $1-billion road and transportation investment plan. It includes land acquisition for road widenings, as well as bridges, over the next 20 years. Those costs make up 60 per cent of the proposed development charge that will be in effect for the next years.

“Roads are a big chunk,” noted Trevor Wilcox, the county’s corporate performance general manager.

He pointed out the county’s $1-billion, 15-year roads program includes widening of major roads such as County Road 90 and Yonge Street, as well as carpool lots, bridges and culverts and intersection improvements. The roads reserve fund is already $13.9 million in the red, which development charges under the proposed bylaw would wipe out.

Social housing makes up 15 per cent of the proposed charge. With waiting lists for rent-geared-to-income housing, the county is working on boosting the supply of affordable housing.

Barrie and Orillia are projected to contribute $37.3 million for the plan to provide more affordable housing options throughout the region. The county is projecting it could have developers and buyers of new homes paying $52 million.

Barrie and Orillia contribute to the county’s costs through a service agreement. The three governments factor in social service caseloads into the formula that spreads out costs.

Another major investment is in paramedic services, which has a $47-million capital program. Development charges would recover $6.3 million of that.

Social housing, which includes the county’s 10-year affordable housing strategy, boosts spending as 2,685 new units are added to the supply.

Wilcox added the increased rates will still not entirely cover growth-related costs, although this time, the Development Charges Act allows the county to include waste management. For example, the proposed organics processing facility on Horseshoe Valley Road in Springwater will qualify for some development charge funding, but because the new facility will benefit existing residents, the percentage of DC funding will be small.

Springwater Mayor Bill French suggested residential development charges be based on a formula similar to the formula the county uses for non-residential – a rate based on a building’s area.

“That’d take care of affordable housing. That why we wouldn’t have to go as many grants for affordable housing, because the development charges wouldn’t be as high (for affordable projects, which are smaller in size),” said French.

“Those who want more pay more.”

But the consultant explained residential rates are based on the demand for various municipal services. Typically, Binning noted, an apartment has one or two occupants while ground-related homes have more.

“We have statistics showing different occupancy patterns. A ground-related home can have three persons or more, while an apartment may have two,” he said, adding there may be no difference between demand on services generated by a 1,500 square foot detached home and a 4,000 square foot one.

“Development charges are a benefits recovery tool. It’s not an ability to pay like income tax or property taxes.”

Factoring a single-detached unit rate of $9,346, the following rates would be in effect across Simcoe County:

Bradford West Gwillimbury: $47,523
Innisfil (Alcona): $46,650
New Tecumseth: $44,542
Barrie (annexed lands): $42,923
Barrie (old boundary): $42,130
Collingwood: $31,319
Clearview (Stayner): $30,961
Springwater (Anten Mills): $28,397
Severn: $27,708
Essa (Angus): $27,497
Wasaga Beach: $25,598
Midland: $25,460
Tay: $25,253
Penetanguishene: $21,782
Ramara (Bayshore): $21,749
Oro-Medonte: $16,268
Orillia: $14,396
Adjala-Tosorontio: $13,945
Tiny: $13,125