Development Cost Charges Update

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Consultation has concluded

Summer 2022 update: The Development Cost Charges Bylaw was adopted at the Aug. 23, 2022 Council meeting. The new DCC rates come into effect immediately for new applications. All interested parties with in-stream applications need to ensure they are received by the City prior to adoption.


What we heard

Consultation is now closed. Thank you for providing your thoughts on the proposed changes to the DCCs.

West Kelowna is growing and with growth comes the demand for infrastructure that serves our community. 

Costs to service areas with roads, drainage, sanitary sewer, water and parkland are in part funded through Development Costs Charges (DCCs). This provides a mechanism to support infrastructure projects and reduce the taxation burden.

DCCs are a method to fund infrastructure associated with growth. Funds are collected from land developers to offset some of the infrastructure expenditures incurred to service new development needs. These DCCs are imposed by bylaw following the Local Government Act as a method to finance capital projects.

We are undertaking a comprehensive update of the Development Cost Charges, in addition to updating the Official Community Plan and the Transportation Master Plan, and is identified in the 2021-2022 Council Priorities' pillar for Economic Growth and Prosperity.

West Kelowna’s Development Cost Charge Bylaw establishes the DCC fees levied per lot, per dwelling unit, or per square meter of new development, for services such as drainage, parks, roads, sewer, and water.

Our Process

The update process consists of four stages.

Stage 1 - Background & Direction: We are here! This initial process entails conducting background research and reviewing West Kelowna's existing DCC Bylaw and infrastructure reports to inform the development of the new DCC Bylaw. Ongoing communication between Council, the Working Group and City staff will render feedback and discussion prior to the development of draft DCCs.

Stage 2 - Developing the DCCs: In this stage, a draft project list will be developed to determine which projects will be included in the DCC Bylaw. A first draft of the DCCs will be established and presented to the Working Group and Council to solicit feedback.

Stage 3 - Engagement: This stage aims to inform, engage and collect feedback with stakeholders. There will be opportunities for developers and builders in the community, as well as the public, to engage on the draft DCCs. Project information, updates and engagement opportunities will be communicated through web content, and virtual sessions.

Stage 4 - DCC Bylaw and Final Report: We are here! In this final stage, the project team will prepare the complete DCC report that carefully documents the processes used to review and update the City of West Kelowna DCCs, including documentation of the engagement process and how feedback was addressed. A final DCC Bylaw will be presented to Council and sent to the Ministry for approval.


Project Engagement

The project will be informed by engaging with residents and stakeholder groups within the City of West Kelowna. The following stakeholder groups have been identified as key audiences in the West Kelowna DCC Bylaw update:

  • Working Group: A Working Group comprising of representatives from the City of West Kelowna, including City staff from Engineering, Planning & Development, Communications, Finance and Parks, will form a high-touch working group that will be involved throughout the progression of the project.
  • Mayor and Council: Over the course of the project, three meetings with Mayor and Council will be held to inform them about the project and solicit feedback where necessary.
  • Community members: Residents of West Kelowna will have an opportunity to engage on the DCC update along with the Official Community Plan (OCP) and Transportation Master Plan (TMP) engagement. Thoughts on the DCCs will be gathered along with input on the OCP and TMP to allow residents to provide input on all these related topics in one place. 
  • Development Community: The development community, including the Urban Development Institute (UDI) and the Canadian Home Builders Association (CMHA), will be presented the draft DCC's in a virtual stakeholder workshop to solicit input.
  • Westbank First Nation (WFN): The draft DCC update will be circulated to WFN for review.
  • Regional District of the Okanagan (RDCO): The draft DCC update will be circulated to RDCO for review.


Draft DCC rates

At their meeting on December 14, 2021, Council considered various options and draft DCC rates. Council provided direction to Staff and the consultants for the DCCs. The background report and presentation to Council are located under Documents on the right side of the webpage.


See the frequently asked questions and supporting documents on the right side of the webpage for more information.

Summer 2022 update: The Development Cost Charges Bylaw was adopted at the Aug. 23, 2022 Council meeting. The new DCC rates come into effect immediately for new applications. All interested parties with in-stream applications need to ensure they are received by the City prior to adoption.


What we heard

Consultation is now closed. Thank you for providing your thoughts on the proposed changes to the DCCs.

West Kelowna is growing and with growth comes the demand for infrastructure that serves our community. 

Costs to service areas with roads, drainage, sanitary sewer, water and parkland are in part funded through Development Costs Charges (DCCs). This provides a mechanism to support infrastructure projects and reduce the taxation burden.

DCCs are a method to fund infrastructure associated with growth. Funds are collected from land developers to offset some of the infrastructure expenditures incurred to service new development needs. These DCCs are imposed by bylaw following the Local Government Act as a method to finance capital projects.

We are undertaking a comprehensive update of the Development Cost Charges, in addition to updating the Official Community Plan and the Transportation Master Plan, and is identified in the 2021-2022 Council Priorities' pillar for Economic Growth and Prosperity.

West Kelowna’s Development Cost Charge Bylaw establishes the DCC fees levied per lot, per dwelling unit, or per square meter of new development, for services such as drainage, parks, roads, sewer, and water.

Our Process

The update process consists of four stages.

Stage 1 - Background & Direction: We are here! This initial process entails conducting background research and reviewing West Kelowna's existing DCC Bylaw and infrastructure reports to inform the development of the new DCC Bylaw. Ongoing communication between Council, the Working Group and City staff will render feedback and discussion prior to the development of draft DCCs.

Stage 2 - Developing the DCCs: In this stage, a draft project list will be developed to determine which projects will be included in the DCC Bylaw. A first draft of the DCCs will be established and presented to the Working Group and Council to solicit feedback.

Stage 3 - Engagement: This stage aims to inform, engage and collect feedback with stakeholders. There will be opportunities for developers and builders in the community, as well as the public, to engage on the draft DCCs. Project information, updates and engagement opportunities will be communicated through web content, and virtual sessions.

Stage 4 - DCC Bylaw and Final Report: We are here! In this final stage, the project team will prepare the complete DCC report that carefully documents the processes used to review and update the City of West Kelowna DCCs, including documentation of the engagement process and how feedback was addressed. A final DCC Bylaw will be presented to Council and sent to the Ministry for approval.


Project Engagement

The project will be informed by engaging with residents and stakeholder groups within the City of West Kelowna. The following stakeholder groups have been identified as key audiences in the West Kelowna DCC Bylaw update:

  • Working Group: A Working Group comprising of representatives from the City of West Kelowna, including City staff from Engineering, Planning & Development, Communications, Finance and Parks, will form a high-touch working group that will be involved throughout the progression of the project.
  • Mayor and Council: Over the course of the project, three meetings with Mayor and Council will be held to inform them about the project and solicit feedback where necessary.
  • Community members: Residents of West Kelowna will have an opportunity to engage on the DCC update along with the Official Community Plan (OCP) and Transportation Master Plan (TMP) engagement. Thoughts on the DCCs will be gathered along with input on the OCP and TMP to allow residents to provide input on all these related topics in one place. 
  • Development Community: The development community, including the Urban Development Institute (UDI) and the Canadian Home Builders Association (CMHA), will be presented the draft DCC's in a virtual stakeholder workshop to solicit input.
  • Westbank First Nation (WFN): The draft DCC update will be circulated to WFN for review.
  • Regional District of the Okanagan (RDCO): The draft DCC update will be circulated to RDCO for review.


Draft DCC rates

At their meeting on December 14, 2021, Council considered various options and draft DCC rates. Council provided direction to Staff and the consultants for the DCCs. The background report and presentation to Council are located under Documents on the right side of the webpage.


See the frequently asked questions and supporting documents on the right side of the webpage for more information.

Consultation has concluded

Thank you for your interest. We will respond to questions within two to three business days. Input received will be provided to Council for their information prior to the adoption of the DCC Bylaw in the spring.