Maple Ridge moves ahead with new growth charges to fund amenities

Maple Ridge is moving toward a new way of making growth pay for growth.

Council unanimously gave first reading May 26 to a proposed amenity cost charge (ACC) bylaw and directed staff to begin public consultation on the new development financing tool, allowing the city to collect standardized fees from new developments to help fund future recreation and community amenities needs.

Several councillors stressed during the meeting that the modest numbers in the bylaw are intentionally narrow and could expand significantly in future years.

“As we’re going out to consult with the community, this essentially is not likely where it’s going to be in a few months,” Coun. Korleen Carreras said. “They need to understand that it’s likely to change as we move forward with some of our larger projects.”

The proposed bylaw represents Maple Ridge’s first attempt at implementing ACCs, a tool introduced by the province in 2023 through Bill 46. It allows municipalities to recover growth-related costs for amenities that cannot be funded through traditional development cost charges.

These include recreation facilities, libraries, childcare spaces, community centres and other public infrastructure.

The city’s proposed ACC framework is designed around forecasted growth between now and 2050, with Maple Ridge expected to add roughly 46,700 residents, more than 9,300 jobs and nearly 569,000 square metres of non-residential floor space over that period.

Those growth projections form the basis for calculating how much future development should contribute toward amenities.

Under the proposed bylaw, charges would initially focus on recreation-related projects rather than broader community infrastructure. Eligible projects currently include synthetic turf upgrades, pickleball courts, improvements to the high school’s athletic field and a multi-sport covered box facility.

Notably absent are some of Maple Ridge’s larger future recreation ambitions.

Because provincial rules require municipalities to only include projects with reasonably certain costs and timelines, major projects currently under discussion – including the Hammond Aquatics and Recreation Centre, the proposed multi-use community park and additional ice sheets at Albion Fairgrounds – were excluded from the first version of the bylaw.

Carreras suggested the city needs to think bigger and sooner.

“When we talk about the future projects, 25 years from now, I think we need to look at a way of getting that on the books too,,” she said.

The proposed rates themselves are relatively modest compared to many municipalities already using ACCs.

City staff’s comparison found Maple Ridge’s proposed charges are substantially lower than many neighbouring municipalities – 20 percent less than the City of Mission, and 10 percent less than the City of Coquitlam.

That low starting point drew concern from Couns. Carreras and Jenny Tan.

“Having the lowest charges compared to everybody else around us doesn’t necessarily serve our citizens well, and it hasn’t served us well in the past,” she said. “It doesn’t mean the housing cost changes, it just means that there people aren’t paying what they should.”

Tan arguing growth-related infrastructure needs to be funded more sustainably.

The community expects infrastructure to be built,” Tan said. “It is about prudent fiscal management – that everyone pays a share towards saving for infrastructure.”

Tan added that provincial legislation limits what municipalities can include during early implementation.

The ACC framework would work alongside Maple Ridge’s existing development financing tools, including development cost charges and community amenity contributions. It shifts the city toward a more standardized approach rather than relying primarily on negotiated contributions through rezonings.

Council’s vote does not finalize the bylaw.

Staff will now begin consultations with residents, industry groups and stakeholders before returning later this year with potential revisions.

Meetings with the development industry and advisory committees are expected in June, with final adoption anticipated later in 2026 and implementation targeted for Jan. 1, 2027.