fedplanner
Active Member
While browsing Google News, I came across two articles on the topic of Section 37 and transit. In addition to application fees that the city collects on each rezoning, approximately $100 million is collected annually in the form of development charges (my estimate based on annual housing starts times $13,611 per unit) plus any extractions in the form of Section 37 agreements.
In a perfect world, all or most of the impacts to infrastructure caused by development would be covered by development charges while Section 37 monies would pay for community benefits and other enhancements to infrastructure. I strongly believe that overcrowding on transit should be part of the infrastructure calculation when determining development fees. Maybe it's that way already? Doubtful.
When looking at the two fee schedules above and reading the (legitimate?) concerns from the budget chief about the lack of city staff oversight in the negotiation process, I wonder if having a fee schedule would be beneficial to all the parties involved. If done right, this could be another funding source to pay for transit enhancements per Jennifer Keesmaat.
http://www.torontosun.com/2012/10/08/wild-west-development-fees
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/story/2012/10/02/toronto-planning-vision.html
(Disclaimer: I don't live in Toronto, but it's much more exciting from an urban planning point-of-view than my boring city down south.)
In a perfect world, all or most of the impacts to infrastructure caused by development would be covered by development charges while Section 37 monies would pay for community benefits and other enhancements to infrastructure. I strongly believe that overcrowding on transit should be part of the infrastructure calculation when determining development fees. Maybe it's that way already? Doubtful.
When looking at the two fee schedules above and reading the (legitimate?) concerns from the budget chief about the lack of city staff oversight in the negotiation process, I wonder if having a fee schedule would be beneficial to all the parties involved. If done right, this could be another funding source to pay for transit enhancements per Jennifer Keesmaat.
http://www.torontosun.com/2012/10/08/wild-west-development-fees
“Sec. 37 is the wild west and the frontier of some councillors,” said Del Grande. “There are hundreds of millions collected and some councillors have access to $50-million for their ward. It’s a loophole that has created a very lopsided system where there are haves and have nots.”
Auditor Jeff Griffiths has expressed concerns over this before and change has not come.
Del Grande said it “has become a personal fiefdom with no consistency” that must be stopped.
In exchange for getting around zoning rules, developers pay a negotiated fee and are granted extra floors on their development projects. That fee is then used for “community improvements.”
But one councillor’s sports field could be another’s public art installation.
There is no continuity.
“Councillors should not be able to wheel and deal in isolation without staff and without controls,” said Del Grande. “It’s very dangerous for some (on council) who are not responsible.
“It’s about equity and fairness,” added Del Grande. “This money should improve all of Toronto.”
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/story/2012/10/02/toronto-planning-vision.html
Toronto's chief planner says developers behind mega-projects could be called upon to contribute funding to help expand the city's transit infrastructure.
Jennifer Keesmaat said that under section 37 of the planning act, developers can make a deal for more height or higher density in exchange for making contributions to the community...
"That would be one way, to take section 37 monies and put them in a fund specifically for transit," she said.
"We need to do some work in that area to make sure we are getting the kinds of public benefits that we ought to be getting."
(Disclaimer: I don't live in Toronto, but it's much more exciting from an urban planning point-of-view than my boring city down south.)
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