Kamloops city staff there was much more infill development in 2019 as opposed to urban sprawl.

Director of development services Marvin Kwiatkowski says the amount of new development infrastructure built last year – like new roads, sidewalks and water mains – was about one-third of what it is was compared to 2017.

“And the main reason is, there’s just simply more multi-family developments and there’s more infill,” Kwiatkowski says.

“So really we’re working towards, and it’s pretty quick gains knowing that the (Official Community Plan) came to council in 2018, a lot more focus on infill development and densification. We are seeing that, and the numbers come forward and prove that.”

Apartment units made up 63 per cent of new housing units built in Kamloops last year, compared to 51 per cent in 2018.

Kwiatkowski gave that update to council, and also talked about how development cost charges paid to the city factor in.

“Looking at numbers collected, $6.7 million in 2019, $7.07 million in 2018. So we’re very similar. On a 10-year program, we need to collect close to $70 million. So we’re very close to collecting that annually.”

The city also waived development cost charges for 83 units of affordable housing, which Kwiatkowski says works out to about $187,000 worth of DCCs being waived.

(Photo: Colours at Spirit Square)