Amenity Cost Charges & Community Amenity Contributions
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Amenity Cost Charges (ACCs) and Community Amenity Contributions (CACs), along with Development Cost Charges (DCCs) are parts of Maple Ridge’s funding strategy that allow the City to provide and maintain public amenities and infrastructure.
Staff presented a draft ACC Program and Bylaw to Council for first reading on May 26, 2026 (refer to the staff report for details). The City is now engaging with residents and industry to help increase understanding and gather feedback.
Maple Ridge is currently developing a new ACC program and bylaw to help plan for needed community amenities as the city grows.
ACCs are one tool that allows municipalities to collect charges from new development to help fund a portion of the cost of new or expanded community amenities required to support growth.
The City is reviewing how an ACC program will fit within Maple Ridge’s existing approach to funding growth-related infrastructure and amenities.
The Province of British Columbia has introduced changes to development financing legislation to support a more proactive approach to planning for growth.
These changes allow cities to use Amenity Cost Charges (ACCs), alongside Development Cost Charges (DCCs), to help fund community amenities needed for growing populations in a more consistent and transparent way. This reflects a broader shift toward planning for the future, with community amenities and infrastructure considered in advance rather than addressed on a site-by-site basis.
The Province has also provided guidance on how ACC programs should be developed and implemented to ensure charges are fair, predictable, and based on long-term planning.
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Under the Local Government Act, ACCs may only be used to fund eligible community amenities that are needed because of growth and that are identified in an ACC bylaw.
ACCs may help fund the capital cost of new or expanded facilities such as:
Recreation facilities and community centres
Libraries
Childcare facilities
Senior centres
Cultural or civic facilities
Public gathering places and similar community amenities
Only the growth-related portion of capital costs may be funded through ACCs.
ACCs cannot be used for operating costs, maintenance, renewal, or replacement of existing facilities. They also cannot be used for costs that are already eligible to be funded through DCCs.
ACCs are not a general revenue source. Setting the rates must be supported by technical studies, capital planning, and financial analyses completed in accordance with provincial legislation.
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Maple Ridge currently uses DCCs and CACs to help fund infrastructure and amenities needed to support growth.
An ACC program would create a more consistent and predictable way to fund growth-related community amenities, while working alongside the City’s other development financing tools:
DCCs would continue to fund core infrastructure such as roads, water, sewer, drainage, and parks.
CACs would likely be used less often, but may still apply in some site-specific rezoning cases, especially where on-site amenities or contributions are secured.
ACCs would provide a standardized way to help fund eligible community amenities needed as Maple Ridge grows.
As the City updates its development financing tools to align with provincial legislation, Council remains committed to balancing growth-related costs with competitive, feasible rates that support continued housing development, including affordable homes.
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Next Steps
The ACC project will include engagement with affected interest holders, and updates on the initiative will be shared with the community as it progresses. The City is working with an external consultant to provide technical analysis, financial modelling, and preparation of a draft ACC Program and Bylaw tailored specifically for Maple Ridge. This work is expected to be completed by summer 2026, with a draft ACC Program and Bylaw being presented to Council for consideration and direction.
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Community Amenity Contributions
CACs are contributions that may be provided by developers as part of certain rezoning applications to help address the impacts of proposed development.
CACs can be used to help fund community amenities such as parks, recreation facilities, community spaces, or other public benefits that support new development. Contributions may be provided as land, on-site amenities, or financial contributions.
CACs are typically secured through site-specific rezonings where additional density or changes in land use are being considered.
How Maple Ridge Funds Infrastructure and Amenities Today?
Maple Ridge currently uses a combination of funding tools to help pay for infrastructure and amenities needed to support growth, including:
DCCs for core infrastructure such as roads, water, sewer, drainage, and parks
CACs secured through certain rezoning applications
Other funding sources such as taxation, grants, and partnerships
CACs are currently used on a case-by-case basis and are negotiated through the rezoning process to help secure amenities or financial contributions where additional development potential is being considered.
