The Regional District of Nanaimo and four developers from Bowser will enter into an agreement that will help fund a large portion of the community’s sewage system in advance.
At a special meeting held Sept. 12, the RDN board approved the proposed agreement involving A.G. Project Management Inc., Coral Ice Developments Inc., Ballard Fine Homes Ltd. and James Water Foulds and Lenny Agustin Foulds.
The project will cost $10.7 million. It was awarded a Clean Water and Wastewater Fund grant of approximately $7.6 million and any cost not covered by the grant will be paid for by taxpayers.
In order to reduce some of the financial burden to the 99 parcel owners whose property will be serviced by the proposed sewage system and will be required to pay for the balance of the project’s cost, the RDN had asked Bowser developers to contribute towards a portion of the costs by paying in advance Development Costs Charges (DCCs) for future developments.
The capacity of the proposed sewer service’s wastewater treatment plant, based on a 20-year population growth design, will be able to support 185 units above the current parcels and development in the Bowser Village Centre.
The four developers participating in the DCC Frontender Agreement will dole out a combined total of approximately $2.7 million, which will go towards financing a portion of the work to complete the project. Each developer will pay according to the lots they plan to develop in the future. Originally there were five developers that showed interest in the deal but one — Magnolia Enterprise Ltd. — dropped out, leaving the four remaining developers to share the cost.
RDN staff are now working on the next stage of the project, including details of the outfall and construction of the collection, treatment and effluent disposal systems. Consultations with the public are being planned along with working with provincial and federal regulators.