Property owners in Takhini North are moving closer to paying thousands of dollars in local improvement charges (LICs) to fix up the water and sewer system in their neighbourhood.

Meanwhile, future property owners in the new area being developed in the neighbourhood are closer to being bound by new zoning regulations.

At Monday night's city council meeting, members were presented with recommendations that they move forward with the bylaw authorizing the local improvement charge for the water and sewer work, and the bylaw for the zoning of the infill set for development off Range Road.

The recommendations come after public hearings were held on both issues earlier this month.

Along with recommending the bylaw go ahead, staff are also proposing that a document attached to the bylaw be changed.

During the public hearing, one resident questioned a note which stated the final price could change.

As staff explained, the note was based on the possibility of the interest rate changing in the cost of borrowing for the work.

The note is now proposed to read that it would be the "final interest rate" that wouldn't be fixed until construction was finished.

The LIC is charged to property owners whose land fronts the area where work is being done.

All but one resident in the area either voted in favour or didn't submit a ballot (which counts as a vote in favour) on the proposed charge, which spurred the public hearing on the matter.

The work will see an overhaul of the aging water and sewer system in the neighbourhood, with property owners footing $1.1 million of the estimated $9.6-million work.

The report on the public hearing also notes that further details on the work, including plans and options for individual homes, can only be planned after the LIC is passed.

"Discussions with the property owners will continue and will include additional community meetings," reads the administrative report.

While council members had few questions for staff last night on the plans, Coun. Doug Graham was quick to congratulate both staff and property owners on the work that has gone into the plans for the neighbourhood.

"I think both parties deserve congratulations," Graham said.

Though no one appeared at the public hearing on the zoning of the new area planned for Takhini North, city staff are proposing one change to their plans.

The change would see the proposed Comprehensive Mixed-Use Takhini North (CMTN) zone renamed to a Comprehensive Neighbourhood Commercial (CNC) zone.

"The CMTN zone is appropriate for use in Takhini North, but the development it allows for would also potentially be suitable at other sites," reads the administrative report. "It is proposed that the name of this zone be changed to Comprehensive Neighbourhood Commercial - CNC, to allow this zone to be used elsewhere and to better reflect the objectives intended by development regulations."

It's also proposed that the new zone has a site coverage of 70 per cent as a way of balancing what developers want and what's suitable for the neighbourhood, senior planner Mike Ellis explained when questioned by Coun. Doug Graham.

The proposed zoning for the new section of infill includes more stringent guidelines for design and incentives for developers building environmentally-friendly buildings.

Council will vote on both bylaws next week.