Almaden Resident
News
Park fees could push Almaden home prices up from $14,150 to $20,400
By Monica Heger
The price to build a home in Almaden Valley could jump $6,250 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 Almaden Valley, the fees for a single-family house would go from $14,150 to $20,400 to reflect rising land value, where the cost per square foot of land in Almaden Valley went from $31.50 in 2001 to $45 in 2005.
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 that high-rises in the downtown core only pay 50 percent of the new fees until 2,500 units are occupied. Members recommended that 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 an organization called the Coalition for a Livable San Jose.
On the other side, 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 greenprint 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 and a date certain when we're going to have a greenprint update."
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.
