Fiscal Note
Purpose
Impact fees are a way for local governments to require new developments to pay a proportionate share of the infrastructure costs they impose on the community. Impact fees are charges that are assessed on new development using a standard formula based on objective characteristics, such as the number and type of dwelling units constructed. The fees are one-time, up-front charges, with the payment usually made at the time of building permit issuance. Essentially, impact fees require that each new development project pay its pro-rata share of the cost of new capital facilities required to serve that development.
Historical Context and Types of Fees that Exist
The City’s existing park and open space land dedication requirements and park-related impact fees are supported by a public facility needs assessment that was prepared internally by Parks Division staff in 2002. The Park Development Impact Fee, Sec. 20.08(2), was created in 2002 as a means to require all land development to pay for off-site parks infrastructure improvements necessary to accommodate land development. The Parkland Impact Fee, Sec. 20.08(6), was created in 2006 to work in combination with the land subdivision park and open space land dedication requirements in Sec. 16.23(8)(f) to ensure that all development either provided sufficient park and open space dedications to serve the development or a fee in lieu of this land dedication so that additional park land could be acquired by the City.
Fee Changes
The City’s existing park-related impact fees will be repealed and replaced by a combined “Park Impact Fee.” This new Park Impact Fee will continue to apply to all development in the City, and will consist of two parts: the Park-Land Impact Fee (replacing the Parkland Impact Fee) and the Park-Infrastructure Impact Fee (replacing the Park Development Impact Fee). The Park-Infrastructure Impact Fee rate will be adjusted annually based on the Construction Cost Index. The Park-Land Im...
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