Regional Parkland Acquisition Development Cost Charge

Overview

Beginning January 2025, Metro Vancouver will collect development cost charges (DCCs) for new residential and non-residential developments in the region to pay for new parkland acquisitions to meet the needs of the future occupants of these buildings.

Ensuring regional ecosystems remain protected, healthy, and resilient over the long-term is critical to the Metro Vancouver region retaining its unique sense of place and remaining an attractive destination and livable region. The importance of protecting regional parks and connecting people to nature only increases as the region grows. Natural areas also provide wide-ranging health benefits, including improved mental health, physical health, and social cohesion, as well as reduced mortality risks and medical costs.

​​​​​Funding parkland acquisitions

Metro Vancouver established a new regional parkland acquisition development cost charge with an effective date of January 1, 2025. Until now the larger regional parkland acquisitions have primarily been paid for through property taxes. The DCC fees are defined in the Development Cost Charge Bylaw below.

​Calculating the development cost charges

DCCs are calculated based on the type of development. The parkland acquisition, liquid waste, and water DCC bylaw provisions are almost identical. One significant point of departure between the parkland acquisition and the sewer DCC bylaw is that the parkland acquisition DCC has only one fee structure for the whole regional area, while sewer DCC has four different fee structures aligning with the four sewerage areas in the region.

Similar to the sewer and water bylaws, DCCs are based on four separate land use categories: residential lot development unit (detached single-family, duplex and triplex), townhouse, apartment, and non-residential. Residential, townhouse, and apartment are charged per unit/dwelling, while non-residential developments are charged per square foot.

​Collecting the DCC

Local municipalities are responsible for collecting the charge. This is usually done at the subdivision approval stage for single-family residential developments and the building permit stage for other types of development. The rates are phased in over a three-year period.

Parkland acquisition DCC rates by land use category (effective January 1, 2025):​​​​

Parkland Acquisition DCC​

The DCC will fund parkland acquisitions over a 30-year period from 2023 to 2052. ​​
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