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www.oakvillebeaver.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Thursday, April 8, 2010 · 4 Extra charges not discouraging homebuilders By Tim Foran METROLAND WEST MEDIA GROUP Halton Regional Chair Gary Carr says he's been vindicated since his ultimately successful push last year for council to impose a controversial $8,000 up-front charge on homebuilders has not slowed down the rebounding residential construction industry in north Oakville and Milton. "I was right, they were wrong," Carr said simply, referring to the developers and fellow regional council members who warned last summer that charging an extra $7,888 per house on top of tens of thousands of dollars in already existing development charges would cripple the residential homebuilding economy, affecting thousands of jobs. "We've gotten the money and they will come," Carr said. Buoyed by a 30-per--cent increase in new home sales in Halton in 2009 over the previous year, developers have been lining up to secure the sewer and water pipe "servicing allocations" they need to keep building homes in C A R P E T · O R I E N TA L R U G S · V I N Y L · H A R D W O O D · C E R A M I C S · C A R P E T · C C E R A M I C S · C A R P E T · O R I E N TA L R U G S · E R A M I C S · C A R P E T · O R I E N TA L R U G S · V I N Y L · H A R D W O O D TO Pay Don't WALL DOLLAR SALEWALLtill 2010 CARPETill SPECIALS UP TO 50% OFF ALL IN-STOCK AREA RUGS... WALL TO WALL CARPET HARD WEARING LUXURIOUS 50 ALL IN-STOCK AREA RUGS...oz. UP TOBERBER $1/SQ. FT.OR LESS! FT. $2/SQ. BONUS! 1/2 PRICEWITH MEMORY FOAM INSTALLED $1/SQ. FT. NYLON TWIST 1 1 E OR2ESS! L 2 PRIC / $ 99* $ 99* AREA RUG PAD PURCHASE $1 (WITH RUGOVER $250 ) VALUED S north Oakville and Milton over The slow take-up stemmed "I was right, they the next few years. from both the economy and Developers in Milton, led were wrong." extra charges being demanded by homebuilding giant by the Region. In November Mattamy, recently requested Gary Carr, 2008, despite the fact the Region approximately 3,870 servic- Halton Regional Chair had completed a new developing allocations, about 500 ment charges bylaw only fewer than Halton Region months before, staff said the had made available for the fast growing com- municipality required an extra $12,000 for munity. each allocation. However, developers in Oakville north of The charge would both cover the cost of Upper Middle Road, are more than prepared to accelerating certain regional roads projects and pick up the extra supply. pay the freight for sectors that don't have to pay According to a report going to Oakville's development charges, such as farms, schools next planning and development council, and places of worship. developers in that community have asked for Developers, hurting from a 36-per-cent drop 5,444 servicing allocations, almost three times in new home sales over 2007 and 2008, balked what the Region estimated would be request- at the extra charge. ed. They questioned both the dollar amount and Each allocation can service one house or the legality of forcing them to pay for exempabout two apartment units. tions provided by the Region itself to other ecoFor developers who won't be able to pick nomic sectors, including industrial land develup any of the allocations this year, the Region opers who were being given discounts on the is preparing to release another 13,850 next development charges they had to pay for year. regional roads -- a practice that has ended as of The hot demand to build in Halton wasn't this April. apparent this time last year as the economy was Due to the slow demand for allocations, stuck in recession. regional staff -- per council's instructions -- Last April, developers had requested only had to come up with a new financing arrange1,600 of the 9,500 allocations the Region ment to accompany the release of its allocaexpected would be requested in 2009 and 2010. See Mayor page 5 C E R A M I C S · C A R P E T · O R I E N TA L R U G S · V I N Y L · H A R D W O O D · C E R A M I C S · C A R P E T · O R I E N TA L R U G S 3/4" HARDWOOD $5.99/SQ.FT. INSTALLATION SELECT Just VINYL $1/SQ. FT. Arrived LAMINATE $1/SQ. FT. Outlet Store - Trafalgar Village $1/SQ. FT. NU BO $1 (LIMIT 2 PER CUSTOMER) 24" 36" $ x99* MATS OFFER GOOD AT THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS: 6 Across from The Home Depot · (905) 849-4472 Huge Super Store · 228 King St. E. Downtown Hamilton · (905)546-1921 · C A R P E T · O R I E N TA L R U G S · V I N Y L · H A R D W O O D · C E R A M I C S · C A R P E T · · C A R P E T · O R I E N TA L R U G S · V I N Y L · H A R D W O O D · C E R A M I C S · C A R P E T · SPRING NING? CLEA 905-681-8832 Thomson Waste Services Servicing Oakville, Burlington & Hamilton for 29 years We drop the bin off, you fill it. We pick it up! Residential "Clean Up" Special T THOMSON $ 299 00 Call (Maximum 2 Metric T ons) Includes Taxes FLAT RATE 905.681.8832 for details.