Local Area Service Program

A Local Area Service (LAS) project is a neighbourhood improvement project paid for by the owners of the benefiting properties to speed up the process of delivering specific engineering infrastructure. Some services may qualify for assistance from the City.

Typical services accommodated under the Local Area Service program are:

• Road Improvements (including paving, curb and gutters, sidewalks, trees and streetlights, as required);
• Back lane opening and paving;
• Utility extensions such as water, storm and sanitary.

Initiating a Local Area Service Project

An LAS project can be initiated either by Petition or by Council Initiative.

By Petition

Property owners may petition the Council for an LAS project through a Preliminary Petition Form. Engineering staff will review the scope of the petition’s request, define the works required and the benefitting area, and provide information and a cost estimate in the form of a formal petition. 

This petition would then provide all property owners with information on the works and what their estimated share of the project would be. 

To get the project approved by Council, the formal petition must be signed in favour by at least half of the property owners representing at least half of the assessed value of the properties benefiting.

By Council Initiative

Council-initiated LAS programs will be published in the local newspaper and notification is also mailed to each benefiting property owner.

An information package and formal petition is sent to all property owners in the benefitting area which describes the work and outlines the estimated costs for each property owner. 

The project will proceed unless the formal petition against the LAS is signed by at least half of the property owners representing at least half of the assessed value of the properties in the benefitting area.

Getting Started

To start the LAS process by petition, discuss among the neighbourhood to determine the support for the project. Define the project boundary – from where to where the service is to be provided – and then discuss your options with City Engineering staff at 604-591-4340.

If at least half of the property owners within the benefiting area are in support, submit a completed Preliminary Petition Form to the City Clerk's Office. A contact person (Leader) should be nominated by the owners and indicated in the Preliminary Petition Form.

Only owners can sign the petition. Each property has a single vote irrespective of the number of owners. In the case of multiple owners, the majority (more than 50%) of the owners must sign the petition for a property to be considered in favour of LAS. Note that the preliminary petition form is non-binding. It is only an expression of interest.

Once the City receives the Preliminary Petition, a Formal Petition Form will be prepared with details such as properties benefiting, cost estimate attributed to each property, etc., and will be forwarded to each benefiting owner. Commitment will be expressed through the Formal Petition.

If you choose not to favour the project, simply disregard the Formal Petition. However, if sufficient property owners sign the petition and the project is approved by City Council, irrespective of whether you signed or not, every property owner in the benefiting area will have to pay.

Local Area Service Project Costs

LAS projects are carried out on an actual cost basis, with final costs and cost share determined at the completion of the project. The following table provides approximate cost ranges to illustrate the magnitude of costs. Costs are based on 2016 prices and each owner’s share is typically calculated based on length of street frontage. However, to provide fair and equitable division of service costs, apportionment may also be done by area, property value or any other methods allowed in the Community Charter.

Please note that an LAS project may be ineligible if the project is located in an area where redevelopment is likely to occur within the next 10 years.

Notes:

1. Local street completion/opening includes paving overlay, curb and gutter, sidewalks, streetlights and street trees as per City standards.
2. Dependant on the priority of the project relative to other City capital projects, the City may offer funding towards a portion of the works.
3. If within the Agricultural Land Reserve, the project may be subject to approval by the City through the Agricultural and Food Safety Advisory Committee (AFSAC) with referral to the Province’s Agricultural Land Commission (ALC).
4. Percentage of owner’s share based on the classification of parallel roadway:
   • Arterial roads – 25%
   • Collector roads – 50%
   • Local roads – 100%
5. Percentage of owner’s share based on current Area Official Community Plan (OCP) designation:
   • Multiple Residential / Commercial / Town Centre / City Centre – 25%
   • Urban – 50%
   • Suburban – 75%

Fee Structure

The cost given through the Formal Petition Form is not final. It is only a cost estimate. Final costs will be assessed only after the completion of the project.

Once the project is complete, the actual cost of the project and individual property’s share is determined and then added to the property tax roll. The cost is typically split proportionate to the frontage of each of the benefiting properties. However, to provide fair and equitable division of service costs, apportionment may also be done by area, property value or any other methods allowed in the Community Charter.

Owners can choose to either pay in full at once or choose to pay over 15 years. The annual charges, in the case of payment over 15 years, will include an interest component determined by the City at the time of the approval of the project.

Additional Utility Services

As part of the LAS project, service connections may be extended to the property line. Owners interested in connecting to City services should make an application at City Hall. No extra connection charges will apply, but owners will have to install, at their cost, the necessary plumbing works to connect from the building to the City’s system, for which a plumbing permit is required.

In the case of water service, as part of the plumbing works, the owner will have to arrange for a water meter chamber at the property line in accordance with the City Water Meter Standards and Specifications. The City will install the water meter.

Per city bylaw, all new water service connections must be metered. You would be charged based on the metered rate.

To discuss initiating a LAS project, or if you have any questions, please contact the City's Engineering Department at 604-591-4340.