Higher fees fly toward final fray
| Tuesday, Jun 16 2009 05:59 PM
Last Updated Tuesday, Jun 16 2009 05:59 PM
At least they agreed on one thing: It's a bad time to raise fees.
But Bakersfield homebuilders Tuesday found little else to agree with as city officials kicked a fee hike closer to final adoption.
If the full city council approves the revised traffic-impact fees next week, builders will pay roughly $3,300 to $5,800 more per home in up-front costs than they now do in most city areas.
The $12,870 per-house fee would help fund road construction, traffic signals and other items -- including local matching dollars for $630 million of federal transportation money scored by retired Bakersfield Congressman Bill Thomas.
Local builders who packed the three-member committee meeting said the increase will pinch their depressed industry.
"This is going to be devastating to us," homebuilder Matt Towery told committee members Zack Scrivner, Ken Weir and Harold Hanson.
"Everybody's in a tough position...I understand," said local homebuilder David Cates after the three unanimously approved the fees.
Bob Decker, head of the Homebuilder's Association of Kern County, said legal action is possible. The group and its lawyers have filed several documents with the city indicating a potential trip to court.
County supervisors recently adopted the higher fees. The city's expected approval June 24 would create a coherent plan for the metro area, where irregular county islands pop up within city limits.
