By Roy Wood, Special to the Times Chronicle
The town of Osoyoos will put nearly $90,000 in the bank for future park development thanks to a “development cost charge” against the developers of the third phase of the Meadowlark subdivision near the fire hall.
Under provincial legislation, developers of a subdivision are required to provide to the town parkland equal to up to five per cent of the size of the development in question.
The Local Government Act gives the municipality the authority to decide how big the park parcel will be. Osoyoos charges the five per cent maximum. The legislation provides the option for the town to take cash payment in lieu of actual land.
The land on which the 19-lot subdivision on 74th Avenue is to be built is currently in the Agricultural Land Reserve but the Agricultural Land Commission has indicated that it will approve the application for removal once a few conditions are met.
Town of Osoyoos graphic
An appraisal of the property determined the fair market value of the land to be $2.85 million. Five per cent of which is $142,500. The developer earlier paid $53,120 in park-related development charges, leaving $89,380.
Planner Shannon Duong told council in a written report, “(The) administration notes that ensuring access to park lands is an important component of community well-being, and the purpose of park land requirements at the subdivision stage is largely to ensure the community’s park land needs are continuing to be met as the community grows.”
Where parks should be located in Osoyoos is addressed in the town’s Official Community Plan (OCP), which defines the priority locations to be “medium density residential designated lands on the east side of Osoyoos lake and along the waterfront.”
Since the Meadowlark development site does not meet the OCP criteria and has not been designated for future parks or trails, administration recommended the cash-in-lieu option, which council unanimously approved.
Duong told council the land on which the 19-lot subdivision on 74th Avenue is to be built is currently in the Agricultural Land Reserve. She noted however that the Agricultural Land Commission has indicated that it will approve the application for removal once a few conditions are met.
