DEVELOPMENT CHARGES

The Development Charges Act, 1997 provides that the Council of a municipality may by By-law impose development charges against land to pay for increased costs required because of increased needs for service.

 Development Charges are imposed to recover capital costs associated with residential and non-residential growth within the municipality. The capital costs are in addition to what costs would normally be constructed as part of a subdivision (eg. internal roads, sewers, watermains, roads, sidewalks, streetlights, etc.). By-law No. 2009-54 of the Township of Severn imposed Development Charges on the following services:

Municipal-Wide Services

þ     Services Related to a Highway

þ     Other Transportation Services

þ     Fire Protection Services

þ     Outdoor Recreation Services

þ     Indoor Recreation Services

þ     Library Services

þ     Administration

þ     Biosolids and Hauled Treatment Facilities

 Area Specific Services

þ     Westshore – Water

þ     Westshore – Wastewater

þ     Coldwater – Wastewater

þ     Severn Estates – Water

 EXEMPTIONS

 The following uses are wholly exempt from Development Charges under By-law No. 2009-54:

þ     The municipality or a Local Board thereof;

þ     A board of education;

þ     The County of Simcoe or a Local Board thereof;

þ     Places of worship, churchyards, cemeteries or burial grounds; and

þ     Non-residential farm buildings.

 Residential

 Exemptions are also approved for the following:

(a)               An enlargement to an existing dwelling unit;

(b)               One or two additional dwelling units in an existing single detached dwelling; or

(c)               One additional dwelling unit in any other existing residential building.

 Development Charges shall be imposed if the additional unit has a gross floor area greater than:

(a)       in the case of a semi-detached or row dwelling, the gross floor area of the existing dwelling unit; and

(b)       in the case of any other residential building, the gross floor area of the smallest dwelling unit contained in the residential building.

 Industrial

 No development charge is payable with respect to an enlargement of the gross floor area of an existing industrial building where the gross floor area is enlarged by 50 percent or less. Please refer to By-law No. 2009-54 for additional industrial exemptions with respect to the gross floor area of an existing industrial building.

Time of Payment

 Development charges imposed under this By-law for fire, library, parks, recreation and administration are calculated, payable and collected upon issuance of a building permit for the development. The development charges for roads and related, water and wastewater, are calculated, payable and collected at time of subdivision agreement with respect to each dwelling unit, building or structure. Council from time to time, and at any time, may enter into agreements providing for all or any part of a development charge to be paid before or after it would otherwise be payable, in accordance with Section 27 of the Act.

• Township of Severn Development Charges

• County of Simcoe Development Charges