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Real Name: Gretchen Wenner Address: 1707 Eye Street Bakersfield, CA 93301 Member Since: November 01, 2007 Last Signed In: November 18, 2009 Profile Views: 1858 Blog Views: 37784 Wednesday night meeting Bike riders: Watch for drilling rig on bike path! Canyons meeting under way... Bldrs Exchange drama... Recycling wackiness State's property values decline for first time since 1933... City seeking applicants for Board of Building Appeals Homebuilders v. city (and county): Latest buzz Council, Weds night: development "freeze?" Suing Bakersfield: Pork hits fan? And they're off! City Council seat beckons... November 07 December 07 January 08 February 08 March 08 April 08 May 08 June 08 July 08 August 08 September 08 October 08 November 08 December 08 January 09 February 09 March 09 April 09 May 09 June 09 July 09 August 09 September 09 October 09 November 09 Get e-mail updates from this blog, and download to print on the go with the City Beat Printcast.
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Suing Bakersfield: Pork hits fan?
As expected, homebuilders are suing the city over traffic impact fees.
(Click on the blue box to download a PDF version of the 23-page complaint.)
Technical aspects of the state Mitigation Fee Act form the heart of allegations the program isn't legally sound.
The revised fee schedule, for example, is based on traffic/growth projections through 2035, but the city and county's existing metro General Plan — which is supposed to be consistent with the impact fee program — only goes to 2020.
Why do you care?
The city needs the money to cover matching funds for the Thomas roads money. Some councilmembers have admitted in public meetings that if locals had passed a half-cent sales tax, the fee dispute wouldn't be going on.
State law, though, lays out requirements for collecting impact fees specifically so cities and counties DON'T use them as a "special tax" — which requires 2/3s voter approval.
If homebuilders successfully torpedo the higher fees? That's a long way off, but it could cut seriously into local general fund dollars.
Developing...
- Gretchen Wenner, staff writer
1 comments from 1 users
1
posted by
ProgressivePete2
on Aug 5, 2009 at 11:03 AM
Why are we still building new homes when there are 1 or 2 homes on nearly every street in town for sale?
1
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