Changes proposed for community improvement plan

Luke Edwards

Advocate Correspondent

A few changes, including two new programs, could be made to Norfolk’s community improvement plan.

Councillors heard about the possible updates at the Jan. 7 public hearings committee meeting. No formal decisions were made, as the presentation introduced the proposal and sought feedback from the public and councillors. 

Community improvement plans are managed by municipalities to provide financial incentives to property owners to renovate or build in certain ways. They can include and array of grants or tax breaks

The report suggests changes to the program are meant to improve uptake and align it with the county’s strategic priorities. All told, the report highlights 13 areas.

Two new incentives being proposed include a grant for property owners adding residential units, particularly rentals and affordable housing units. Consultants propose offering a maximum of $4,000 per unit, up to $8,000 based on a 50/50 matching contribution.

“The idea is to encourage creation of new housing units or the conversation of non-residential space to residential units,” said planning consultant Marilyn Cameron.

A second proposed new program is a tax increment grant for brownfield rehabilitation that gives owners of those lands a property tax break that’s calculated using the increased assessment value following the rehabilitation and will be reduced each year.

This would be separate from the development charge exemption, and those who are eligible for the latter wouldn’t be eligible for the former.

Mayor Amy Martin had some questions about the two new programs and the municipality’s ability to pay for them.

“I understand the merit behind them and why you do them, my concern is more about our financial position,” she said.

The mayor found the housing program, specifically, a difficult one to fully support.

“It’s just a tough one for me to get behind politically when we’re in such a financially tough spot, not only for the municipality but for the residents of Norfolk, to put together a package that says ‘if you can afford to upgrade your home, we’ll pay for your property taxes,’” she said.

Consultants are also proposing the removal of the Architecture and Design incentive, instead consolidating it in with other incentives. This recommendation also mentions expanding “eligible professional fees to include professional planners for support with planning applications.”

The Planning Applications Fees and Building Permits Fees grant would also be modified to include a single upset limit of $4,000.

If approved, a new applicant agreement template will be designed, and the county plans to move from having a rolling admission process to two intake periods a year with fixed deadlines. Cameron said the idea is in part a response to staff resources at the county. Having two intake periods would allow them to set aside specific time to deal with applications.

Others are more administrative in nature, including using more plain language, updating goals and objectives, developing a glossary to provide definitions for each category of uses and updating criteria to align with new definitions, and developing both a monitoring database and marketing strategy.

Some other changes were also mentioned, though not included in the draft plan. These included incentives for energy efficiency and sustainable development, public art, and amenities such as temporary commercial kiosks or recreation activities.