By Colleen Dane - Comox Valley Record - December 12, 2007

Development cannot happen in the Village of Cumberland, unless developers pay to expand the community’s capacity, said council’s engineer Bob Hoffstrom.

A new development cost charges bylaw will help to bring the cost of that work into perspective.

“There needs to be a funding program for these projects and realistically, that funding should come from developers,” said Hoffstrom in his report to the council.

Development cost charges (DCCs) are fees paid by a developer for their use or required upgrades to the municipality’s infrastructure.

The amended DCC bylaw that he presented to council proposed increases of three to 18 times the current rate, depending on what’s being built.

For a single-family unit, for example, the new bylaw would see storm drainage DCCS drop from $2,495 to $2,000, but sanitary sewer costs rise from $1,780 to $5,060.16, water from $2,244 to $3,200 and parks from $83 to $1,568 for maintenance plus $661.38 for acquisition.

The report on the new charges was received by council, but recommended to go to consultation with developers and the general public.