April 29, 1998

To:Chairman and Members

Scarborough Community Council

From:E. Y. Uzumeri, P.Eng.

Executive Director, Building Division

Subject:Churchill Heights Baptist Church

Waiver of Fees

Purpose:

To report on the request of Mr. Douglas B. Robertson, on behalf of the Churchill Heights Baptist Church, to waive the building permit fee and development charges relative to the church building expansion program, permit application No. 98-00579.

Funding Sources, Financial Implications and Impact Statement:

Initial Estimates:

(1)Building Permit Fees$37,042.80

(2)Development Charges$13,483.28 (CITY)

$ 6,241.57 (SPUC)

Recommendation:

It is recommended that:

(1)the fees for the building permit be collected according to the Building Permit By-law and not be waived; and

(2)development charges be collected as per the existing development charge by-laws and policy in Scarborough.

Discussion:

This request by the Churchill Heights Baptist Church needs to be considered on its individual merits with due regard to past practices and policies related to the granting of exemptions for the payment of fees.

Fees for building permits are charged on the basis of plan review and inspection services rendered according to rates set out in the Building Permit By-law. Even during the period of the Economic Action Plan, building permit fees for churches continued to apply in Scarborough.

With the creation of a new City of Toronto, the legislation carried forward all applicable by-laws from the previous local municipalities. The development charge by-laws provide for collection of these levies from non-residential development, and Scarborough Council did not include churches or church-related development when it adopted the "Going to BAT for Business" program in June 1997.

In Scarborough, save for a brief period in 1997, development charges have been consistently collected for non-residential development. Last year, Scarborough Council considered, and waived development charges and building permit fees on a case-by-case basis for three church-related developments. Subsequent to this, it adopted a policy in regard to waiver of development charges under very specific circumstances which expired on December 31, 1997.

Conclusions:

1998 has been treated as a transition year where existing practices and by-laws will continue to apply, irrespective of the differences across municipalities, until new policies are put in place which address the differences in almost every aspect of municipal service. At this time, it would be inappropriate to modify existing by-laws on a piece-meal basis.

Contact Name:

Bernie E. Roth, P.Eng., Director/CBO, Scarborough District

396-7660

396-4266 (fax)

_______________________________

E. Y. Uzumeri, P. Eng.

Executive Director, Building Division

cc:Councillor Bas Balkissoon, Ward 18

Councillor Lorenzo Berardinetti, Chair, Scarborough Community Council

Councillor Raymond Cho, Ward 18

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