Willow Glen Resident
News
Increase in park fees could raise prices for new homes in San Jose
By Monica Heger
The price to build a home in Willow Glen could jump in upcoming weeks as part of the city's plan to provide more parkland for San Jose.
The planning commission this month agreed with the recommendations by the parks and recreation commission that the fees a developer pays for parks should be raised to reflect 2005 land values. Currently, developers pay fees that are set at 70 percent of 2001 land values.
In 2001 , the price of land in Willow Glen was $35 per square foot. That price jumped to $70 per square foot by 2005. If the recommendations by the parks and recreations commission are approved by the city council, the fees that a developer will have to pay will increase from $15,700 for a single-family residence to $31, 750.
The park fees, paid by developers in lieu of donating parkland, will go toward park projects within the district of the proposed development.
Beverley Bryant, executive director of the Homebuilders Association of Northern California, said increases to projects already in the works could be detrimental.
"For lots of projects in the pipeline, this does make a difference," Bryant said. "For small projects, this could be a deal breaker."
Bryant said the development community is more supportive of phasing in the increases.
"It's better to err on the side of more dirt," said resident Randi Kinman, "because once the dirt's gone, you don't get any more dirt."
The commission also recommended high-rises in the downtown core pay only 50 percent of the new fees until 2,500 units are occupied. Members recommended the city council research the feasibility of creating a permanent city position charged with seeking grant money for parks for low-income housing developments that are exempt from paying the fees.
Helen Chapman, the chair of the parks and recreation commission, said these adjustments are long overdue.
"For the last five years developers have been getting a very good deal," Chapman said. "It's just like a cost of living adjustment. Really, it's just bringing everything up to current levels."
Many neighborhood associations throughout San Jose agree with Chapman and as a result have formed the Coalition for a Livable San Jose.
Bob Hines, the vice president of public policy and communications with the San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce, said it was not only important to update the policy before increasing fees, but that money for the maintenance of the parks needs to be secured.
"It's ludicrous to continue to build parks when you don't have the money to maintain them," Hines said. "We need a date certain when we're going to have a maintenance plan."
The city council will make the final decision on the park fees at its meeting at 7 p.m. on Oct. 24.
For more information on the proposed changes, visit www.sanjoseca.gov/planning/hearings/2006/PC/Reports/9-13-06/091306PDO-PIOMemotoPC.pdf. For more information on CalSJ, visit www.calsj.org.
