More than 90% of Southern California cities charge impact fees, including neighboring Pasadena, Burbank and Los Angeles. The fees are typically used to fund public improvements such as parks and libraries that would be impacted by the influx of residents and workers that commercial and residential developments bring to cities.
The Revenue Cost Specialists report estimated the imposition of such impact fees could bring Glendale up to $136 million in today's dollars and would potentially finance all future park and library needs called for in the city's general plan. This is based on the Planning Department's projection of 7,520 new homes that will need to be built to accommodate the city's population growth, according to U.S. Census reports, city density analysis and the amount of buildable space in the city.
Single-home residential builders in California paid an average of $24,325 per unit in development fees in 1999, according to the most recent study of such fees by the state. Impact fees for single condominium units in various Southern California cities range from as low as $1,760 per unit in Riverside up to $29,000 per unit in Thousand Oaks, Parks, Recreation and Community Services Director George Chapjian said.
