City can’t afford to keep waiving development fees: Orlikow
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 26/06/2015 (3830 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Some councillors want to know if there is a limit to city hall’s generosity.
Coun. John Orlikow questioned how often city hall can afford to waive development fees linked to projects initiated by non-profit groups.
“I’d love to waive fees for everybody, especially non-profits that are doing good work,” Orlikow (River Heights-Fort Garry) said during Friday’s property and development committee. “I’d love to give land away for a $1 to everybody who is doing a public good… but there is a fiscal reality we face.”
Orlikow was commenting on the request from the non-profit partnership behind the redevelopment of the former Merchant’s Hotel on Selkirk Avenue, which is requesting a waiver of development fees and building permits for the project, known formally as Merchant’s Corner.
The civic administration said the Merchant’s Corner request will cost the planning, property and development department $7,657.
Staff said a similar request from Sport Manitoba earlier this week for its $26-million fieldhouse project on Pacific Avenue will cost city hall an estimated $430,000, if approved — that request is still under consideration by the executive policy committee.
Members of the property and development committee approved the Merchant’s Corner request but asked the administration to develop policy on how to treat similar requests in the future.
“This is something that I’m not sure the city can keep doing,” Orlikow said. “The money does come from somewhere.”
aldo.santin@freepress.mb.ca
