Winnipeg developers pressure city to change growth-fee plan

Mayor Brian Bowman and senior members of his administration were absent from a workshoporganized by the Urban Development Institute on Tuesday to discuss the city's plans to implement growth fees.

The city's current plan is still on hold. As it stands now, itwouldcharge $1,000 for every100 square feet of new residential space in Winnipeg and increase costs of commercial and industrial developments.

• Winnipeg developers invite mayor and council to growth-fee meeting of their own

Eric Vogan, president of the Urban Development Institute's Manitoba chapter, said the Tuesday meeting was a first attempt to meet withcity officials andinfluence the development of the growth fee policy. His organization represents professional developers in the province.

Vogan said Winnipeg is not ready for a fee to be applied to all new development projects citywide as proposed by Winnipeg's corporate finance department.

"We are not advanced enough to talk city-wide because we have too many regional differences," said Vogan.

Infrastructure needs in a neighbourhood like Charleswood compared to Fort Garry differ significantly, he said, and development charges should reflect that.

Developers also want to know exactly what their development fees will be paying for, saidVogan.

"There's got to be a value proposition," he said. "People deserve to know what they're getting."

Coun. Russ Wyatt (Transcona) was one of seven councillors whoattended the developer's meeting. He said the industry made it clear they support developer fees but they want to be involved in discussions.

"The industry wants to find solutions and a resolutionthey wantaprocess," Wyatt said.

"They want to work with the mayor, they want to work with members of council to try to resolve these issues and to come up with a process that makes sense."

Vogan said developers want to know where development fees will be spent and how exactly it will benefit occupants of their buildings.

Developers in wait and see mode

Coun. Janice Lukes (St. Norbert) said she has met with developers in Winnipeg's south end who have said they are delaying new projects until they know exactly what Winnipeg's new growth fee will look like.

• Growth fees on hold in Winnipeg, but it's not clear how long

"Developers are holding off. They're not building," she said.

She added she'sconcerned about theway the city has gone about developing agrowth fee structure.

"I find it very interesting that we're doing consultations after a study and a report has come out.That's a different approach to what I've ever seen before," said Lukes.

Coun.JohnOrlikow(Fort Garry), chair of the property and planning committee, said the city will consult with developers on its own timeline.

"It's not about the developers deciding when they want to talk about it, it's about us deciding together what we want to talk about. This will be a city led plan not a developer led plan," saidOrlikow.

"So they can have their opinions and we'll listen to them, and we'll listen to all the stakeholders and then it will be up to council to decide."

Vogan said developers will holdfuture meetings to discuss growth fees and hope the mayor will attend at a later date.