At the June 11^th Durham Region Finance and Administration Committee meeting, finance staff walked-on Report 24-F-16 – Recommended Amendment to Regional Development Charges By-Law #42-2023 to Remove Phase-in Rates Effective July 1, 2024.

The report was passed by the committee and will be brought to Regional Council on June 26, 2024.  The report recommends that Council amend the previously passed Report 2024-F-10 (passed on May 29, 2024 – to remove the phase-in of DCs upon the passage of Bill 185) to remove the phase-in as of July 1, 2024 to coincide with indexing.

If passed by Regional Council, the following DC rates would come into effect on July 1, 2024:

• Single/Semi-Detached - $86,095
• Medium Density Multiples - $68,620
• Two Bedroom Apartment and Larger - $50,107
• One Bedroom Apartment and Smaller - $30,765

Full rates can be found in this report.

The report also recommends that:

Any complete submission for the preparation of a subdivision agreement received by the Development Approvals Division of the Regional Works Department on or prior to July 1, 2024 be given the option of being processed under the policies and rates of the current DC By-Law #42-2023 (i.e. without the changes recommended in the amending by-law) or the proposed amended DC By-law, where a complete submission requires all of the following to have been submitted to the Development Approvals Division in a form satisfactory to the Region:

• Ministry of the Environment, Conversation and Parks is received;
• Detailed cost estimate received;
• Three (3) copies of the proposed Final Plan (M-Plan) received;
• Regional Planning approval of the Final Plan received;
• Three (3) copies of all proposed Reference Plans (R-Plans) received;
• Three (3) copies of approved General Plan of Services received (signed by the Local Municipality and the Region); and
• Regional Subdivision Agreement Information Checklist

Subdivision agreements that have been processed according to By-Law #42-2023 (i.e. without the changes recommended in the amending by-law) must be executed within three months of July 1^st, 2024 (September 30^th, 2024), otherwise they shall be deemed cancelled and will be replaced with a subdivision agreement processed according to the amended DC By-law, where execution requires all of the following to have been submitted to the Regional Legal Services in a form satisfactory to the Region:

• Signed Subdivision Agreement received, including all schedules;
• Payments of fees identified in the agreement received;
• Securities identified in the agreement received;
• Prepayment of DCs for Sanitary Sewerage, Water Supply and Regional Roads received; and
• Insurance Certificate received.

The Durham Region Home Builders’ Association and BILD appealed the Region’s new development charge bylaw last year, and that appeal is ongoing.