As Golden grows, so does the need for making sure infrastructure will meet the future needs of the community. According to best engineering practices, the Town is at or nearing capacity in critical infrastructure like sewer and water. This directly impacts how and where new development can happen.
We’re taking proactive steps to ensure our infrastructure can support the Golden community, not just for today, but for decades to come. This includes infrastructure upgrades and funding tools to support a sustainable and growing community.
What we’re doing:
The Town has completed several infrastructure master plans, covering transportation, sanitary sewer, sewage treatment, and water, to understand the current state of infrastructure and asset management needs now, as well as infrastructure upsizing needs triggered by new development.
The map shows the main growth-related infrastructure projects
Projects completed or underway include:
- Downtown street renewals, including a new watermain on 6th St N to improve system fire flows
- Design and continued development of Well 7, a new water source to support long-term demand beyond 25-year community growth projections.
- Design of a new sewer pipe south of Pine Drive on the North Bench, with a portion of the costs to be recovered from development in that area.
- Council has discussed using the Provincial Growing Communities Fund of $2.27 million, provided for increasing local housing supply, to support the Town’s spring 2025 application to the Canadian Housing Infrastructure Grant for the 5th Avenue South sewer line replacement upgrade valued at approximately $4 million dollars. Other required upgrades include pumps at the 12th St S Lift Station and developers will likely be required to contribute to the pipe and pumps upgrades.
How growth will be supported:
To manage growth responsibly, the Town is:
- Developing a new Development Cost Charge (DCC) Bylaw.
- Created Development-Related Infrastructure Funding Guidelines, which provide potential examples of infrastructure scenarios in Golden.
This makes sure that growth pays for growth. The Town is using the benefiter-pays model used across many B.C. municipalities. This means that developers are responsible for funding the infrastructure needed to support new development, while the Town, and ultimately taxpayers, are responsible for maintaining, upgrading, and replacing that infrastructure over its lifetime.
Learn more about DCCs and the process at www.golden.ca/dcc
What this means for development:
Larger development will continue, but in most cases, off-site works will be required. This will include off-site infrastructure paid for and likely constructed by developers and new fees/contributions paid before the issuance of a building permit, connection to water/sewer, or subdivision approval. These fees may be returned by the Town to an original developer who front-ends the infrastructure.
During this time, the Town will continue considering applications for low-density developments of two units or less; however, staff is taking a cautious approach and will continue to monitor the situation over time.
What’s next?
We are working on contribution fees for the Pine Drive Alternative Alignment and pipes and pumps at the 12th St S Lift Station.
We also continue to work with Urban Systems Ltd. on the DCC bylaw program and will be engaging developers and taxpayers, and the public in late summer.
Stay tuned for engagement opportunities!