The Santa Clara City Council is scheduled to decide on increases to parks fees at its meeting on January 12, 2016. Santa Clara imposed significant fee increases on new residential construction in 2014. The 2014 ordinance also authorized annual fee increases based on increasing land value. A new study ordered by the city purportedly shows that land values have skyrocketed across Santa Clara to roughly $5 million per acre. BIA Bay Area commissioned Development and Financial Advisory (DFA) to review the City’s Land Valuation Appraisal Report and DFA found significant flaws and inconsistencies in the processing of the report leading to an overstating of land value by as much as 40%. Click here to view the DFA Review of Park and Recreation Development Impact Fees. Click here for the executive summary.
