Millions in new fees for Regina's in-fill builders under consideration

The City of Regina plans to charge new fees to developers who build houses on vacant lots in established neighbourhoods something it believes will generate $3 million a year.

However, it's going to take its time to work out the details on "in-fill"fees.

According to city hall documents, officials want to see Regina grow to a population of 300,000 by 2040, and in-fill housing is expected to accommodate about 30 per cent of that growth.

The developers who build subdivisions on the outskirts of the city places like Harbour Landing and Westerra already have to pay servicing agreement fees and development levy charges.

It means theyfoot the bill for infrastructure in any newly developed areas, which includes roads, water, and sewage.

• RELATED:Regina council tackles 'Who pays for growth?' question tonight
• RELATED:Regina council makes billion-dollar decision on who pays for growth

Although in-fill builders have never had to pay such fees, the city says "growth pays for growth" so that's going to change.

Originally, the plan was for such fees to kick in on Jan. 1, 2017, but now they're being delayed for another year.

The city says it wants to consult with builders and the public somemore. Council will be asked to make a decision on that at a future meeting.

In the meantime, officials conceded that waiting for another year to set in-fill fees means forgoing about $3 million next year.

It could recoup that lost money over the long term by setting fees at slightly higher rates than currently anticipated, a city administrative report says.