The Onni Group is getting a break from the City of New Westminster.
Council has directed staff to reduce building permit fees for the nonmarket and rental housing development in Parcel O at the Victoria Hill site by 50 per cent. The city will also direct staff to waive legal costs associated with the preparation and registration of housing agreements for the non-market and market rental housing development that Onni is building at the site.
Onni will build 100 nonmarket housing units and 85 market rental units in a five-storey wood-frame building at Victoria Hill. Onni had asked the city to consider waiving or reducing a number of fees and charges associated with the building.
Beverly Grieve, the city's manager of planning, said the requests are consistent with the city's draft secured market rental housing strategy. The report, presented to council in February, includes actions such as reducing building permit fees by 50 per cent and paying legal costs related to the preparation and registration of housing agreements.
"Staff is anticipating that the draft secured market rental housing strategy, containing a consultation and implementation plan, will be submitted to council within the month," stated a March 11 staff report to council.
Council also directed staff to initiate the preparation of the pertinent bylaw amendments to provide a 50-per-cent reduction of the building permit fees for secured market rental housing.
"I think this is a progressive step in terms of housing issues in the city," said Coun. Bill Harper.
Coun. Chuck Puchmayr said he supports dealing with the requests on a case-by-case basis, rather than through a blanket change to bylaws.
