Community Amenity Contributions in britannia
Good Afternoon Britannia Residents,
Tony Rainbow has brought some very important information to the attention of the BBCA Board of Directors (BOD) concerning future amenities in our community. Please read the following letter from Tony Rainbow to the SLRD regarding Squamish's desire to annex community contributions slated to support future Britannia Beach community amenities.
The District of Squamish wants the SLRD to assess Community Amenity Contributions (CACs) on the development of Britannia Beach South which could over time amount to $5,000,000. CACs are a one time assessment that is agreed before a project is approved. They are seeking to do this at the SLRD Board table by passing a resolution that would be included in the zoning bylaw, so it would not be brought to the public until the deal is done. BUT, you do have an opportunity to comment. There is to be a Public Hearing on this bylaw proposal in Britannia Beach early in September and this is your chance to make your thoughts known.
Why should the current residents of Britannia Beach be concerned? After all, this is a ‘tax’ applied to a developer so it does not immediately affect your tax bill. In the long term though it will definitely affect you.
In the Regional Growth Strategy (RGS), the SLRD considers Britannia Beach to be one community, not two separate ones. There will be amenities in Britannia North that will not be duplicated in Britannia South. The reverse is also true - there will be some amenities in Britannia South that are unique to that part of the community. For example, Minaty Bay will be developed as a Regional Park with amenities such as washrooms and with a safe crossing over the railway. This will all be paid for by the developer.
If the Board approves that a large amount of cash should be allocated to Squamish for amenities such as the skating rink and to assist them with road maintenance and their public transit system, this will be money that, in my opinion, should have been spent in Britannia. What this means to you is that if at some point in the next few years you want things such as pickle ball courts, an all-weather basketball court, a pump track for young riders not ready for the excellent trails in the SLRD, the money will have to be raised by taxes in the community.
My feeling is that if the SLRD Board wants to assess Community Amenity Contributions (CACs) in the form of cash, then that money should be spent exclusively in the community of Britannia Beach. If Squamish want to provide a regional recreation resource, then the District should go through the rigorous process of getting taxation approved to pay for it. This means that there must be full disclosure of all costs and justification for establishing a tax on residents of areas that surround Squamish. The mechanism is in place for them to do this and for such a tax to be established, and the taxpayers directly affected will have to approve it or reject it.
At the moment, I am intending to argue that CACs should stay in our community and not be given to Squamish. I am making the assumption that this position is supported by the current residents of Britannia Beach. I would appreciate hearing from you either in person at the Public Hearing or by email. Emails should be addressed to: kneeham@slrd.bc.ca with a copy to me at trainbow@slrd.bc.ca. Please put PUBLIC HEARING in the subject line.
Thanks for your attention to this important matter: I will support the majority view of the community so please make sure that I know how you feel.
Tony Rainbow, Director, Area D, Squamish Lillooet Regional District.
Whether you agree with the Britannia South development or not, whether you agree with suggested POSSIBLE future amenities in Tony's message or not, the CACs should stay in Brtiannia for Britannia residents. This meeting is to ensure that funds from future developments should remain in Britannia only, not to approve developments or initiatives. We are asking for support at the upcoming meeting to be held at the Mine Museum on Wednesday September 6th at 7:00 pm.
If you are unable to attend, but wish to support keeping CAC's in Britannia please send an email to the contacts listed above.
If you have any questions please contact me directly at amorrissey07@gmail.com.
Alex Morrissey, BBCA President
Tony Rainbow has brought some very important information to the attention of the BBCA Board of Directors (BOD) concerning future amenities in our community. Please read the following letter from Tony Rainbow to the SLRD regarding Squamish's desire to annex community contributions slated to support future Britannia Beach community amenities.
The District of Squamish wants the SLRD to assess Community Amenity Contributions (CACs) on the development of Britannia Beach South which could over time amount to $5,000,000. CACs are a one time assessment that is agreed before a project is approved. They are seeking to do this at the SLRD Board table by passing a resolution that would be included in the zoning bylaw, so it would not be brought to the public until the deal is done. BUT, you do have an opportunity to comment. There is to be a Public Hearing on this bylaw proposal in Britannia Beach early in September and this is your chance to make your thoughts known.
Why should the current residents of Britannia Beach be concerned? After all, this is a ‘tax’ applied to a developer so it does not immediately affect your tax bill. In the long term though it will definitely affect you.
In the Regional Growth Strategy (RGS), the SLRD considers Britannia Beach to be one community, not two separate ones. There will be amenities in Britannia North that will not be duplicated in Britannia South. The reverse is also true - there will be some amenities in Britannia South that are unique to that part of the community. For example, Minaty Bay will be developed as a Regional Park with amenities such as washrooms and with a safe crossing over the railway. This will all be paid for by the developer.
If the Board approves that a large amount of cash should be allocated to Squamish for amenities such as the skating rink and to assist them with road maintenance and their public transit system, this will be money that, in my opinion, should have been spent in Britannia. What this means to you is that if at some point in the next few years you want things such as pickle ball courts, an all-weather basketball court, a pump track for young riders not ready for the excellent trails in the SLRD, the money will have to be raised by taxes in the community.
My feeling is that if the SLRD Board wants to assess Community Amenity Contributions (CACs) in the form of cash, then that money should be spent exclusively in the community of Britannia Beach. If Squamish want to provide a regional recreation resource, then the District should go through the rigorous process of getting taxation approved to pay for it. This means that there must be full disclosure of all costs and justification for establishing a tax on residents of areas that surround Squamish. The mechanism is in place for them to do this and for such a tax to be established, and the taxpayers directly affected will have to approve it or reject it.
At the moment, I am intending to argue that CACs should stay in our community and not be given to Squamish. I am making the assumption that this position is supported by the current residents of Britannia Beach. I would appreciate hearing from you either in person at the Public Hearing or by email. Emails should be addressed to: kneeham@slrd.bc.ca with a copy to me at trainbow@slrd.bc.ca. Please put PUBLIC HEARING in the subject line.
Thanks for your attention to this important matter: I will support the majority view of the community so please make sure that I know how you feel.
Tony Rainbow, Director, Area D, Squamish Lillooet Regional District.
Whether you agree with the Britannia South development or not, whether you agree with suggested POSSIBLE future amenities in Tony's message or not, the CACs should stay in Brtiannia for Britannia residents. This meeting is to ensure that funds from future developments should remain in Britannia only, not to approve developments or initiatives. We are asking for support at the upcoming meeting to be held at the Mine Museum on Wednesday September 6th at 7:00 pm.
If you are unable to attend, but wish to support keeping CAC's in Britannia please send an email to the contacts listed above.
If you have any questions please contact me directly at amorrissey07@gmail.com.
Alex Morrissey, BBCA President
