The protection and acquisition of parkland in the Regional District of Nanaimo has been highlighted as a priority for the Regional District of Nanaimo’s governing board. The RDN currently manages 12 Regional Parks and over 200 Community Parks throughout its 7 Electoral Areas. At the May 28, 2019 Regional Board Meeting, staff were directed to initiate a Development Cost Charge (DCC) study for regional parkland acquisitions and improvements for community parks in five of the seven Electoral Areas.
The Board’s decision for the study follows up on findings from a 2017 Service Review on RDN parks funding which recommended that DCCs be developed and implemented for parkland management. Under the Local Government Act, regional districts and municipalities may impose DCCs to acquire and improve parklands, and improvements include the construction of trails, playgrounds, landscaping and restrooms.
“Many local governments in BC use DCCs to facilitate parkland acquisitions and improvements, and this study will look at how we can effectively advance the RDN parks and trails system,” said RDN Chairperson Ian Thorpe. “Taking into account the growing population within the RDN, we are looking at all available financial tools to sustain the maintenance and future supply of parklands for recreational and conservation purposes.”
The RDN will be following the Province of British Columbia DCC Best Practices Guidefor development and approval of DCCs. A consulting firm specializing in DCC development will be retained to prepare the review. As part of their work, the firm will provide guidance in developing the bylaws and including stakeholder input. Under the Local Government Act, future eligible parkland improvement expenses will be examined for inclusion in the bylaw, and the study will include a review of eligible costs for the RDN’s Regional Parks and rural area Community Parks system.
The study is anticipated to commence in the fall of 2019, with the findings prepared for RDN Board consideration in 2020.
Contact:
Tom Osborne
General Manager, Recreation and Parks
Regional District of Nanaimo
250-248-3252
tosborne [at] rdn.bc.ca (tosborne[at]rdn[dot]bc[dot]ca)