The City of Coquitlam is updating its Development Cost Charges (DCCs) program to ensure development continues to pay towards essential infrastructure that supports community growth.
COQUITLAM, B.C., February 27, 2025 – The City of Coquitlam is updating its Development Cost Charges (DCCs) program to ensure development continues to pay towards essential infrastructure that supports community growth.
The City updates its DCC bylaw every two years, in light of changes to development trends, land and infrastructure costs, population-growth projections and other factors. This year’s proposed update aligns with recent provincial legislation and reflects changes that expand the scope of eligible DCC categories.
Pending provincial approval, the City anticipates adopting the updated DCC bylaw by summer 2025.
Key Updates to the DCC Program
DCCs help pay for new City infrastructure, such as transportation (roads, cycling and sidewalks), utilities (water, sewer and drainage), new parkland and some park improvement projects. They are paid by developers and builders applying to subdivide properties into single-family lots, or for building permits for multi-family residential, commercial, institutional or industrial developments.
One key update as a result of the provincial housing legislation introduced in late 2023 is the expansion of DCC-eligible infrastructure to include fire protection facilities, police services, solid waste and recycling facilities, and certain provincial highway projects (subject to cost-sharing agreements).
As a result, in the draft DCC update, the City has incorporated funding for fire protection and police services through DCCs. This will help ensure the essential first responder services needed to keep the community safe match pace with population growth.
The proposed update includes a 3% average DCC increase, carefully balancing higher construction costs and expanded DCC categories with cost savings and capital program refinements to keep increases as low as possible. A regular review process ensures DCC rates remain responsive to market conditions, construction costs, and evolving growth patterns.
Planning for Growth
As part of its DCC review, the City researches and updates population and growth projections and the associated infrastructure and servicing needs and costs. Based on Coquitlam’s 30-year growth projections, the City anticipates 96,000 new residents, requiring over $2 billion in infrastructure investments to maintain service levels and the high quality of life for residents.
The City is committed to managing growth responsibly and ensuring that new development contributes its fair share towards the infrastructure needed to support Coquitlam’s growing community.
Media contact:
Gorana Cabral
Director Finance
604-927-3070
FinancialPlanning@coquitlam.ca
We acknowledge with gratitude and respect that the name Coquitlam was derived from the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ (HUN-kuh-MEE-num) word kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (kwee-KWET-lum) meaning “Red Fish Up the River”. The City is honoured to be located on the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm traditional and ancestral lands, including those parts that were historically shared with the q̓ic̓əy̓ (kat-zee), and other Coast Salish Peoples.