Saugeen Shores development charges are about to go up and it will be phased in over three years.
It’s not official yet, but council has approved the phase-in and it will be in the form of a bylaw at its September 12th meeting.
Saugeen Shores treasurer Lori Sweiger says the first hike in mid-September will be about three thousand dollars over the existing four thousand dollar plus levy for new housing development.
Sweiger says after three years, the development charge will stand at almost $12,300 dollars that will be borne by the developer and likely the new home buyer, on top of any list price.
Councillor Diane Huber voted against the phase-in calling for the charge to be levied in one shot.
Huber says history has shown that building is not affected by development charges and it might renew interest in people looking at homes that are already established in the area.
Deputy Mayor Luke Charbonneau says it was the responsible thing to do in phasing in the cost over three years, avoiding what he calls “sticker shock.”
Charbonneau says the last thing they want to do is discourage new home development in Saugeen Shores.
