HUNTINGTON BEACH : Building Fees Raised to Buy Parklands

With no dissent from residents or developers, the City Council this week unanimously approved an increase in building fees of $725 per new house.

Revenue from the increase will be used to buy new parklands. The fee is increasing from $2,395 to $3,120 per new home.

Michael Adams, the city’s director of community development, noted that the City Council had decided in December to increase the fee to reflect consumer price increases since 1982, the last time the fee was changed.

The council on Monday night also increased the parkland fees on new three-bedroom apartments from $1,180 to $1,537. Fees on new mobile homes were increased from $1,180 to $1,537.

The City Council has said developers should help pay for buying parkland for the thousands of new homes being built in the city. The major new housing tracts include Holly-Seacliff and the Bolsa Chica Bluffs, both in northwest Huntington Beach. City planners project more than 30,000 new residents will live in these developments.

A staff report to the council said: “Representatives of the developers in the city do not agree that new homeowners should have to finance the completion of the park and recreation system. However, staff feels that new homeowners are receiving the benefit of $90 million in current park and recreation facilities financed by previous home buyers, and it is fair that they should be responsible for completing the park and recreation system in the city.”