AgdaPkt 2017-03-27 Closed and Joint SA PFA

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10 How Are Fees Charged to ADUs? All impact fees, including water, sewer, park and traffic fees must be charged in accordance with the Fee Mitigation Act, which requires fees to be proportional to the actual impact (e.g., significantly less than a single family home). Fees on ADUs, must proportionately account for impact on services based on the size of the ADU or number of plumbing fixtures. For example, a 700 square foot new ADU with one bathroom that results in less landscaping should be charged much less than a 2,000 square foot home with three bathrooms and an entirely new landscaped parcel which must be irrigated. Fees for ADUs should be significantly less and should account for a lesser impact such as lower sewer or traffic impacts. What Utility Fee Requirements Apply to ADUs? Cities and counties cannot consider ADUs as new residential uses when calculating connection fees and capacity charges. Where ADUs are being created within an existing structure (primary or accessory), the city or county cannot require a new or separate utility connections for the ADU and cannot charge any connection fee or capacity charge. For other ADUs, a local agency may require separate utility connections between the primary dwelling and the ADU, but any connection fee or capacity charge must be proportionate to the impact of the ADU based on either its size or the number of plumbing fixtures. What Utility Fee Requirements Apply to Non-City and County Service Districts? All local agencies must charge impact fees in accordance with the Mitigation Fee Act (commencing with Government Code Section 66000), including in particular Section 66013, which requires the connection fees and capacity charges to be proportionate to the burden posed by the ADU. Special districts and non-city and county service districts must account for the lesser impact related to an ADU and should base fees on unit size or number of plumbing fixtures. Providers should consider a proportionate or sliding scale fee structures that address the smaller size and lesser impact of ADUs (e.g., fees per square foot or fees per fixture). Fee waivers or deferrals could be considered to better promote the development of ADUs. Do Utility Fee Requirements Apply to ADUs within Existing Space? No, where ADUs are being created within an existing structure (primary or accessory), new or separate utility connections and fees (connection and capacity) must not be required. Does “Public Transit” Include within One-half Mile of a Bus Stop and Train Station? Yes, “public transit” may include a bus stop, train station and paratransit if appropriate for the applicant. “Public transit” includes areas where transit is available and can be considered regardless of tighter headways (e.g., 15 minute intervals). Local governments could consider a broader definition of “public transit” such as distance to a bus route. 8.B. - Page 60