Newport raising fees charged to developers

Housing developers building in Newport Beach will begin paying more if they don’t provide parkland as the city requires.

The Newport Beach City Council voted Tuesday to boost the fee to $26,125 per residential unit from its 1988 level of $6,894 per unit.

The fee update was postponed several times before Tuesday’s meeting because the Building Industry Assn. said the new fee was too high and contested the city’s math.

The city initially considered $33,962 for the new per-unit fee but lowered it after an appraisal commissioned by developers showed the city’s numbers may have been inadvertently inflated.

Newport’s park fees are based on the land values of two existing parks. The fees can go to buy additional parkland to serve new residents or to pay for amenities at existing parks.

Developer representatives argued for an even lower fee by pointing out what Newport proposed would be out of line with other Orange County cities.

In response, City Planning Director David Lepo said, “Most cities don’t have land values anywhere near” Newport Beach’s.

Councilwoman Leslie Daigle told developers, “We really don’t want you to pass the buck to us. We really prefer you to provide that parkland.”

— Alicia Robinson