Encyclopedia
Amenity Cost Charge (ACC)
A charge some BC local governments can collect on new development to help pay for amenities like community centres or libraries. It's set by bylaw and separate from development cost charges.
For example: A small developer pricing a land assembly near a station asks the city which development charges, including any ACC, will apply. (Illustration only, not a real deal.)
Official source: Amenity cost charges (Government of BC)
Example only, not a real client. Say you are planning a new building in a municipality that charges amenity cost charges. You include them in your budget alongside development cost charges, so your land price makes sense.
What I’d tell a friend
Ask about amenity charges as well as development cost charges when budgeting a project.
Why it matters to you
It's a cost a developer pays the city that comes straight off what a site is worth. Miss it in your numbers and you overpay for land or find your project doesn't work once the charges come due.
How to use it in your deal
Buyers and developers should check whether the municipality has adopted an ACC bylaw, what rates apply, and when they're paid. Build ACCs into your feasibility analysis along with development cost charges, school site acquisition charges and any remaining density bonusing. Rates can change, and some bylaws have in-stream protection for applications already submitted, so timing matters.
Owners selling development land should know that ACCs affect what buyers can pay. Some types of development, like certain affordable housing, may be exempt or reduced. Ask the municipality for its ACC bylaw and supporting report, which lists the planned amenities. ACCs are separate from development cost charges, which pay for infrastructure like water, sewer and roads. Check both before you price land. Ask the city for the current rates and when they next change.
Mistakes I see
Missing ACCs in budgets. Ignoring rate changes. Confusing ACCs with DCCs.
In BC and Vancouver
The Local Government Act allows ACCs; the province publishes guidance.
Official sources: Local Government Act (BC Laws) · Development cost charges (Government of BC)
What it is
Amenity cost charges are fees some BC local governments can collect from new development to help fund amenities such as community centres or libraries.
They are newer than development cost charges, and rules are still being applied by municipalities.
What to check
Ask the municipality whether it has adopted amenity charges and what rates apply.
Check with a BC lawyer or planner on how they affect your project.
Questions to ask before you sign
- Is there an ACC bylaw?
- What are the rates?
- When is it paid?
- Are exemptions available?
Keep reading
Related terms: Development Cost Charge (DCC), Land assembly, Density: floor space ratio (FSR) / floor area ratio (FAR)
- How commercial property is valued in BC
- Vancouver planning changes: what they mean for commercial owners and tenants
- Zoning, permits and licences for commercial space in Vancouver
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General information for British Columbia only. It isn’t legal, tax, accounting or financial advice, laws and rates change, and reading it doesn’t make you my client. Any numbers or scenarios are hypothetical. Check the linked official source and talk to a lawyer, accountant or other qualified professional before you act or sign anything. See the terms and disclaimer.