Sacramento, Calif. - As part of Sacramento County’s commitment to support and sustain park facilities in new development, the Board of Supervisors approved a park fee ordinance for eight recreation and park districts on September 28th.

“These fees will bring in revenue for the park districts and will be dedicated to improvements and projects ranging from parkland development to sports fields to restrooms to community centers,” said County Engineer Steve Pedretti. “The eight park districts, located north of the American River, have seen property tax revenue dry up, while the demands on their facilities continue to rise, particularly due to infill development within established communities.”

Beginning December 1, 2010, the fees will be collected from infill development projects and phased in during the next three years, with credit and reimbursement available for developers who construct park improvements. Depending on the location and park district, the fees, when fully phased in, will range from $5,300 to $6,600 per single family resident dwelling.

As part of the County’s effort to review all fees, costs and standards that add to the cost of development, the County and Park Districts worked with the development community on a comprehensive review of the district fee structures. All parties agreed on the facilities to be funded by development impact fees on a fair share basis. This agreement resulted in an Agreement in Principle for development and funding of parks in infill areas approved by the Park Districts, the County and the development community.

The eight districts with new park development fees are:

Arcade Creek Recreation and Park District

Carmichael Recreation and Park District

Fair Oaks Recreation and Park District

Mission Oaks Recreation and Park District

North Highlands Recreation and Park District

Orangevale Recreation and Park District

Rio Linda-Elverta Recreation and Park District

Sunrise Recreation and Park District

For more information on the new fees, visit www.msa2.saccounty.net/ce/Pages/default.aspx.