Traffic-fee trouble brewing?
| Sunday, Jun 14 2009 08:02 PM
Last Updated Sunday, Jun 14 2009 08:02 PM
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On Tuesday, an escalating conflict over developer fees is scheduled for its final committee vote before the fully city council hears the matter, likely later this month.
A proposed increase in traffic-impact fees for new home construction appears to be pushing Bakersfield homebuilders towards a legal challenge.
In a weekly memo to city councilmembers, City Manager Alan Tandy Friday expressed frustration over continuing inquiries from the local Home Builders Association.
“Questions, the majority of which have been answered previously, continue to be submitted as a means to delay the process,” Tandy wrote.
City and county staffers have been working for more than two years to revise fees for the metro area. They’ve held more than 22 meetings and workshops along the way.
Yet last week, the HBA sent a letter with nearly 50 questions that closed on this note: “This represents our first cut at a series of questions and concerns... .”
The revised plan would add several thousand dollars to up-front permit costs for each new house built. Developers say such increases in a down market are a hardship.
City and county officials say they need the plan in place to hold on to hundreds of millions worth of federal transportation dollars that require a partial match of local funds.
The committee meets at 1 p.m. Tuesday on the ground floor of City Hall North, at 1600 Truxtun Ave. It is open to the public.
