North Cowichan council has instructed staff to conduct a financial-impact analysis of potential future phases of the huge Kingsview housing development.
The Kingsview development, which has been in the works for many years, is planning to construct up to 1,300 housing units on the side of Mount Tzouhalem, where the defunct Cliffs Over Maple Bay project was supposed to be constructed, in several phases during its expected 30 to 40-year phase-in.
Coun. Christopher Justice, who introduced the motion at the meeting on Oct. 1, said sometime in the near future, council will be asked to decide whether or not to support an amendment to North Cowichan’s official community plan and an extension of the current Kingsview Phased Development Agreement which would allow development on the upper slopes above Kingsview and Nevilane Roads, on the side of Mount Tzouhalem.
He said that while growth can bring benefits to North Cowichan, this proposed expansion raises serious concerns, particularly in regards to the scale of the municipality’s infrastructure deficit, now in the tens of millions of dollars, that council was recently made award of.
Justice said the area in question is steep, remote, low-density, and located in a zone with a high wildfire risk.
“These factors may result in much higher long-term costs for infrastructure, services, and amenities,” he said. “Without a clear and thorough understanding of those costs, there's a real risk that taxpayers will end up heavily subsidizing this development over the long term. A fiscal-impact analysis should give us the hard numbers we need. It’s essential to know whether this development would be a net benefit or a financial liability for North Cowichan over the long term.”
Justice said off-site infrastructure upgrades required by upper phases of the Kingsview development may not be fully covered by development cost charges, leaving taxpayers to fund large gaps.
He said an example of this is the Kingsview roundabout, built to serve the development, which ended up costing taxpayers $1.3 million.
“As well, the upper phases of Kingsview will be quite spread out in a relatively remote location, and on steep terrain,” Justice said. “This could significantly increase the long-term costs of maintaining and replacing the extensive infrastructure like roads, water and sewer systems, and stormwater management, which would add significantly to our asset management debt.”
Justice said that with rising taxes, placing a financial burden on many residents, it is essential that council prioritize fiscal responsibility and make every effort to keep taxes as low as possible in areas where it can.
“Conducting a fiscal-impact analysis of the costs and potential revenues associated with possible upper phases of the Kingsview development is just basic fiscal responsibility; something critical to ensuring whatever decision council makes is made in the best interests of North Cowichan’s taxpayers,” he said.
Coun. Tek Manhas said much of the financial information Justice is seeking is already covered in North Cowichan’s bylaws for such projects, so a financial impact analysis would be redundant.
“I don’t even know why we’re discussing this if it’s already in bylaw,” he said.
Mayor Rob Douglas said council is discussing it because staff currently has the discretion to request the financial information or not.
“I believe Coun. Justice wants to ensure that council does get this kind of analysis as part of Kingsview’s development prior to the phase development agreement being brought forward,” he said.
The motion passed, with Manhas and Coun. Bruce Findlay opposed.
