Thanks to CAA, Riverside County supervisors aren’t about to create a new development impact fee to put new beds in the county jail.
The California Apartment Association’s Inland Empire Division, with assistance from the Riverside Building Industry Association and Inland Empire Commercial Real Estate Development Association, persuaded the Board of Supervisors to postpone a vote whether to approve a new “Criminal Justice Public Facilities” impact fee of $1,200 per unit. The staff-recommended fee hike was on the board’s April 22 agenda.
Tim Johnson
“We informed the supervisors that county staff didn’t tell us about the proposed amendments to Ordinance 659, and we needed more time to review,” said Tim Johnson, executive director of CAA’s Inland Empire division (AAGIE).
Cities and counties can require that developers pay impact fees to help build facilities that provide government services to residents of new construction, such as single-family homes and multifamily housing communities.
“The county is trying to implement a new development fee to pay for jail beds, but there’s no nexus between new development, especially new multifamily housing, and increased crime,” Johnson said.
On behalf of its members, AAGIE will work with Riverside County to identify the most accurate and fair approach to charging impact fees for infrastructure needs related to new development.