Ontario Construction News staff writer
North Bay City Council has approved a report from the planning and building department recommending an amendment to the Growth Community Improvement Plan to add an additional incentive program, the landfill tipping fee grant for properties within the identified housing target area.
According to the report, the program will provide a rebate for the required Landfill Tipping fees needed for the demolition of the primary building.
“The landfill tipping fees may act as a barrier and lead to illegal dumping and/or derelict buildings,” Adam Curran wrote in his report to council. “This program is intended to be used as a last resort and property owners are encouraged to maintain their buildings to a high standard and conduct regular maintenance.”
The incentive will provide a rebate of 100 per cent of landfill tipping fees for sorted material to a maximum of $50,000 or 50 per cent of the regular costs for unsorted material to a maximum of $25,000.
Of the eligible rebate, 50 per cent of the tipping fee would be rebated when the building is demolished and the remainder would be rebated if the building is replaced with a new development within one year of demolition.
Applicants are eligible to apply for funding under this program, subject to meeting the general program requirements and the availability of funding.
“The landfill tipping fee program is to encourage the removal of derelict commercial and residential buildings within the Housing Target Area of the Growth CIP,” Curran said. “This program should be used as a last resort and property owners are always encouraged to maintain their buildings to a high standard and conduct regular maintenance.”
The Landfill Tipping Fee is available to applicants who are removing a portion or the entirety of their derelict building and replacing it with a new development within one year of demolition.
“Applicants will be encouraged to rehabilitate or modernize whenever possible,” Curran said. “When it has been deemed too cost prohibitive, this program will encourage the removal of these buildings to allow for new construction to occur.”
The Growth Community Improvement Plan has four focus areas:
- Downtown Target Area
- Waterfront Target Area
- Industrial Target Area
- Housing Target Area
Applicants will be required to provide rationale and justification through the application process explaining why rehabilitating the existing building is not possible. The program is not intended for general clean-up of properties or the removal of contents of a building.