Yellowknife (Sep 01/06) - Developers can likely expect higher building permit fees after city council voted Monday to move forward on changing its 15-year-old price structure.

But one councillor believes changing permits fees, which would see the price of building a single family home jump from $50 to $125, will discourage construction.

Proposed changes new single family detached dwelling- current fee: $50 / proposed fee: $125 duplex or semi-detached- current fee: $100 + $10 per $100,000 in excess of $1 million / proposed fee: $100 + $25 per unit proposed commercial or industrial use- current fee: $100 + $10 per $100,000 in excess of $1 million / proposed fee: $100 + $1/square metre up to 500 square metres and an additional $.5/square metre beyond to a maximum of $1500

"Do we want to encourage development or do we want to throw up more hurdles?" Coun. Alan Woytuik asked. He said stimulating building was the best way to generate revenue for the city rather than raising permit fees.

Council asked administrators to draft a bylaw that would contain the changes, which include price increases for multiplexes, commercial spaces and home extensions, among other builds. The motion still needs to be passed during a full council vote, likely weeks away.

Council's vote of support for the increases came in the wake of a Planning and Lands departmental review of its fees and permit charges, which have remained unchanged for 15 years.

Councillor Kevin O'Reilly said changes to the fee structure were overdue.

Based on 2005 development permit revenues, which were $17,132, the new fee structure would have increased the city's take by $10,000. The Planning and Lands report also noted that, "Based on the review of 14 municipalities land use application fees... Yellowknife development application fees are significantly lower than those of most other jurisdictions."