Prince Edward County council has rejected a developer’s request to lower some municipal charges on a proposed shopping plaza west of Picton.
One of the owners of 13300 Loyalist Parkway in Picton asked council in Prince Edward County to reconsider the development fees for the property.
Jamie Chisholm of Picton Properties spoke to council during a virtual council meeting on Tuesday night.
The proposed plaza along Loyalist Parkway west of Picton across from Canadian Tire and No Frills calls for a Foodland grocery store and other retail outlets.
Chisholm said the project had been in the works for four years but was delayed by senior government regulations. He added that now the incentives to go ahead are gone.
Chisholm added since the COVID-19 pandemic changed the landscape, the retail market for new locations has now disintegrated.
He also was asking council to reconsider service connection fees because the property already had water services to the site.
Chisholm noted they have contributed another $147,000 for sewer and water extensions off-site, along with an additional $88,000 for phase one alone, other up front fees aside from construction will be in excess of $10 million, $240,000 for securities and they are still paying over $300,000 for essentially two businesses in development charges.
He says they are “certainly paying our fair share” and “every cent counts here”.
Chisholm added the company has invested approximately $2 million into this property and they are committed to this project.
Council later looked at a motion to review development costs including charges and service connection fees for any development whose building permits are issued this year for one building for the Picton Properties development site.
Councillor Janice Maynard says the development charges reduction was reviewed each year and it became less palatable especially given that taxpayers are the ones who pick up the reductions in the development charges.
She said a long sunset clause was put in place and in terms of fairness, the County was not the primary cause for the delay.
Director of Development Services Peter Moyer told council the project was started three and half years before the end date of the development charges reduction and where they are now was not foreseen by staff or the developer.
He said the intentions were clear and honest on both sides but time got the better of them on this one.
Mayor Steve Ferguson stated he sympathized with Chisholm but council has to look at where they are right now and the stresses taxpayers may be under given COVID-19.
He said he would love to support the motion but the timing isn’t right.
Council defeated the motion by a vote of 12-0.
