County Stifles Threat to Plan for Road Fees

The Orange County Board of Supervisors on Wednesday closed a loophole that threatened its plans to prevent gridlock in the southeast part of the county by charging developers for massive road improvements before they can build new homes.

Because of the loophole, developers were rushing to get building permits before fees could be imposed to pay for the new roads. County officials said that could have cost the county $4 million in the next 30 days.

There are several major housing projects planned for the foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains that could greatly worsen an already bad traffic problem in the area, officials say. As a result, supervisors voted last December to force developers to make road improvements before their construction can begin.

In June, while the details were being worked out, the supervisors voted to block any new construction in an area of the southeast county for 60 days by refusing to approve tract maps unless developers signed agreements to pay the fees that eventually will be imposed. Those fees will be paid in connection with the issuance of building permits.

Since the June vote, developers whose tract maps already had been approved have been rushing to get building permits before the higher fees are imposed. That was the loophole the supervisors closed Wednesday, voting to refuse to issue building permits unless the developer agrees to pay the higher fees when they are adopted.

Negotiations Continuing

The fees could be substantial. A building permit for a single family home, for example, could cost an extra $3,900, county officials estimate.

The county has tentatively outlined about $180 million in new and improved roads that it believes are necessary to accommodate anticipated development in the area, which stretches from the outskirts of Irvine as far south as Ortega Highway, and from Interstate 5 east to the Cleveland National Forest.

County officials have been negotiating with developers in the area about a specific plan for road improvements and a fee schedule to pay for them. Wednesday, the supervisors were told the negotiations would take another 30 days.

Supervisor Gaddi H. Vasquez, whose district includes the foothill development area, put developers on notice Wednesday that there will be no more extensions of negotiations after the 30 days.

And to one home builder who spoke against the decision Wednesday, Vasquez responded: “The fact of the matter is that we are on the threshold of accomplishing . . . a plan that can serve as a model for the other unincorporated areas of Orange County. There is a lot at stake here.”

Besides the extra fee for single-family homes, the other maximum fees outlined by the county Wednesday were $2,300 for a multifamily building and $2,700 per 1,000 square feet for non-residential construction.