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54 °F Forecast | Road Cams Saturday, May 7, 2005 Today's News | Shop Our Valley | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery | Contact Us SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Health Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley SHOP OUR VALLEY AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Classified Place an ad TOP JOBS EXTRA Ashland News NIE Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Moving here? eSouthernOregon CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ's Advertise with us Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend May 5, 2005 Debate develops over planning-process fee hikes By MEG LANDERS Mail Tribune Medford is suggesting a hike in planning fees to make the department more self-sufficient, but one land-use planner says it’s too steep for developers and home buyers to take on. "It’s a tremendous amount of money and we’re not making it any easier for people to buy into the Medford housing market," said Scott Sinner. Subdivision applications, for example, are increasing from $500 to $1,200; the base fee for the site plan and architectural commission application is going up by $400 to $900. City staff said the fees are designed to recover costs of planning staff time. The Medford City Council is set to adopt the new planning department fees today. If approved, they will be effective immediately. Advertisement The increases are being phased in over three or four years. Before the first increase in 2003, fees covered 25 percent of the planning department’s costs for processing applications. The increase being considered today will bring that percentage up to 85. The department is set to be 100 percent self-sufficient with a third and final increase in another year or so. Before the increases, development was being supplemented by taxpayers, said Planning Director Rob Scott. With the new fee schedule, development will pay for itself, he said. "It’s based upon our costs and council has directed us to recover most of those costs," said Jim Maize, Medford senior planner. Part of the fee increase would fund an administrative support technician, at an annual salary of $49,900, to help process the increased workload as housing development remains on the rise. The fee adjustment isn’t random, said Maize. "It was based upon a sampling of time that staff has spent working on each one of those application types," he said. Planning staff members process applications, prepare maps, send notices to affected parties, and circulate copies to utility companies, schools, agencies and other city departments. They also make sure the plans are in compliance with city codes for setbacks, parking, landscaping. The engineering and fire departments also review the plans, as does the water commission. Maize said 106 applications have been received so far in 2005, and he’s estimating about 300 total this year — about the same as 2004. In 1998 there were 177 applications. He said he believes the new fees don’t add up to a very significant cost increase. But Sinner said the fees a developer pays per lot for a 20-lot subdivision of $225,000 homes is already too high. "It’s $8,100 to $8,900 per lot," he said. "I’m very concerned about these fees going up." Developer Terry Buntin of Buntin Construction said he can see the need for the fee increases. "I wouldn’t say I don’t mind, but I don’t oppose it. I understand," he said. Buntin, who builds primarily medium-sized subdivisions of between 18 and 120 lots, said fee increases don’t necessarily get passed on to the homebuyer. "The prices are market driven. If the market won’t bear the expense, then that’s not something that we can pass on," he said. Medford City Council could approve increases today The Medford City Council meets at noon and 7 p.m. today in the Council Chambers, City Hall, 411 W. Eighth St., Medford. A public hearing on the following fee increases is scheduled for the evening session. (Parentheses reflect current fee): Site Plan/Architectural Commission base fee — $900 plus $25 per 1,000 square feet over 10,000 square feet or plus $25 per dwelling unit over 10 units ($500 plus $25 per 1,000 square feet commercial development or plus $25 per residential dwelling unit). Zone change — $710 ($810). Subdivision — $1,200 plus $15 per lot over 15 lots ($500 plus $10 per lot). Historic Commission — $310 ($190). Partition — $820 ($520). Annexation — $1,280 ($1,120). Planned Unit Development — $1,870 ($1,450). Conditional Use Permit — $800 ($650). Vacation of property — $760 ($540). Comprehensive Plan amendment — $1,500 plus $50 per acre ($800 plus $50 per acre). Exceptions — $590 ($480). New fees: Street name change — $370. Lot line adjustments — $75. Minor amendment to previously approved site plan — $500. Reach reporter Meg Landers at 776-4481 or e-mail [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback Free Music Downloads Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers home equity loans helzberg diamonds Distance Education Diamonds Paris Hilton Online Poker Auto Insurance Mesothelioma Slippers Student Loans Tatoo tcg student loan consolidation teleconferencing Website Design & Marketing Memory Foam Mattress w2 forms Tatoos Mortgage Calculator Free Home-Loan Referrals Payday Loans Advertisement s