A new bylaw aiming to encourage business owners to set up shop on previously empty land has been passed by Rocky Mountain House town council.
To that end, the officially titled Non-Residential Land Development Tax Incentive Bylaw would see new greenfield non-residential plots subjected to the same mill rate as residential & farmland – a typically lower rate.
For example, the 2023 mill rate on residential and farmland was 8.7 per cent, compared to non-residential commercial vacant, which was 13.4 per cent.
To be eligible for the break for a particular tax year, applicants must fill out a form to be received before the Feb. 1 deadline. A subdivision plan and land title must also be registered with the Town.
As suggested by former mayor Debbie Baich during the July 16 meeting, a sunset clause has also been written into the bylaw as the rate reductions will last for five years, with a window for applications set from Jan. 1, 2025 to Dec. 31, 2028.
Any change in ownership or use of the lot would cancel the tax reduction for that specific lot for the next taxation year, the bylaw says.
Acting Mayor Marley Capraro hopes to see the bylaw be applied in every corner of town.
“Council is really keen to see development happen anywhere in town,” says Capraro. “We hope that with this new bylaw and other development incentives we have to offer that property owners find us an even more appealing place to do business.”
Town of Rocky Mountain House officials say the other programs designed to encourage business includes a program to partially offset costs for development and building permits for non-residential buildings that have been vacant for 180 days or more.
Going forward, officials say it’ll be a lead talking point for council in discussions with developers. Officials with the Town’s planning department say it will also be reaching out to known developers and vacant property owners advising them of the newly-minted bylaw.
The bylaw was first proposed in council in early summer. During the July 2 town council meeting, Coun. Len Phillips said that Rocky is uniquely positioned to benefit from such a bylaw.
“We’re different from the Highway 2 corridor. We’re not Blackfalds, Penhold or Lacombe,” says Phillips. “I think we need to do something a little different to potentially attract and/or have our local landowners do something with the land.”
You can read more about bylaw 2024/11 here.
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READ MORE: Town of Rocky Mountain House 2023 financial report: highlights
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