What are impact fees?

Construction impact fees, also known as development impact fees, are one-time charges levied by local governments on new construction projects to cover the costs of future growth-related improvements or expansions needed. This can include infrastructure expansions or improvements, such as roads, schools, parks, water systems and sewer lines.
They ensure that new residents pay their fair share for the services they will use; basically, making the new structure or development "pay for its own impact" on existing infrastructure of the neighborhood. 

In Sonoma County, these may include some or all the following impact fees:

For Residential Projects, impact fees are

SCHOOL FEES:

• School Fees (pay fees in effect at time of issuance directly to the districts):
  New residential dwelling units (kitchen) over 500 sq ft.

• Residential additions to existing dwelling units over 500 sq ft.

• ADU's over 500 sq ft.

• New Commercial (all square footage).

• Commercial additions (all square footage).

• Eligible Square Footage is entered on A Record screen.

  

  
  

• Traffic Fees:

• Pay fees in effect at the time of issuance, unless pre agreement with commercial projects in planning.

• Fee increased/updated per calendar year, not fiscal year.

• New Residential dwelling units (permit tech assesses). It is a one time fee that is charged on NEW construction when a building is built. It is not assessed on additions.

• New apartments (per kitchen/dwelling) (permit tech assesses).

• New Commercial uses (Engineering analyses & assesses).

• Type of building being built,

• For Resdiential, fees are added on A Record screen. You will need to select the county area, the project type, the residential unit type and the daily trips. The daily trips change every calendar year and a memo is sent out with the multiplier for Average Daily Trips.

Park Fees:

• Pay fees in effect at the time of issuance.

• New Residential dwellings/kitchen. It is a one time fee that is charged on NEW construction when a building is built. It is not assessed on additions.

• Apartments per dwelling/kitchen.

• COMMERCIAL projects do NOT PAY PARK FEES, only applicable to residential.

• Enter in A Record by using drop down menu and select if required, not required or exempt and select Park Area. System will populate the fees required.

  

Affordable housing:

• Fees increased/updated per calendar year, not fiscal year.

• Permit Techs assesses ONLY Residential W/ Planning's support.

• First 1,000 sq ft exempt. Enter the SQ FT of the qualifying structure and the system will automatically exempt the first 1000 SQ FT.

• ADU's are exempt from affordable housing fees.

• Fees paid based on fee in effect at time of plan check submittal date, not issuance date.

• FARM FAMILY: exempt up to 1,200 sq ft. Example of input into Accela: Subtract 200 square feet from the total square footage of the farm family unit (1,499sf) then apply affordable housing fees to 1,299 square feet? This way accela is only charging affordable housing fees based on the additional 299 square feet.

• Enter on A Record by selecting the square footage of the qualifying building (SFD or ADU). The system will automatically exclude the firs 1000 SQ FT.

Fire Mitigation Fees:

• Charged on all parcels in the following Fire Districts: Sonoma Valley & Sonoma County FD and Rancho Adobe FD

• Fees are based on square footage which is entered on (f) Fire Impact screen. See ordinance in attachments below.

• New residential dwellings (kitchen).

• Additions both residential and commercial.

• Replacement dwellings for additional square footage.

  Fire Rebuild parcels we only charge for additional square footage (from the original home) if added.
  EXEMPTIONS:
  1. A structure owned by a governmental agency.
  2. A structure being reconstructed due to damage from fire or other calamity, if it is the same size.