Local News in Brief : Issue of Developers Fees Tackled

In a dispute over developer fees for local schools, the Lawndale City Council has asked the city attorney to draft an agreement absolving the city from liability in the figuring of the fees.

The council also asked the staff to report on what it costs the city in staff time to provide the Centinela Valley Union High School District with the square footage of new developments. The school district uses the figures to calculate developer fees due the district.

Gary McDonald, chairman of the Lawndale Planning Commission and a development consultant, has challenged the traditional method school districts have used to calculate fees. He said developers have been overcharged for years and could sue the city because of its role in providing square footage figures to the district.

School district attorneys defended the calculation method, which they said is widely used throughout the state, and opposed plans to change that method in a way that would reduce developer fees. The district bases its figures on the building perimeter, while developers favor a method that excludes bathrooms and closets from the calculation.