ANAHEIM : Traffic, Parking Fees for Developers OKd

Developers will now be charged for the city’s mandatory review of their traffic and parking plans, under an ordinance approved by the City Council.

The fee will be $65 an hour and is expected to raise $63,000 annually for the city, according to the plan approved by the council Tuesday.

Developers whose projects will add fewer than 100 cars a day to city streets will have to make a deposit of $650 when they file their traffic plans.

Those whose projects will add 100 to 250 cars a day will have to make deposits of $1,950, and those adding more than 250 cars a day will have to deposit $2,600, according to the ordinance. All developers will have to make deposits of $260 when they file their plans for parking.

The hourly fees will be taken from the builder’s deposit and any excess will be refunded, city officials said.

John Lower, the city’s traffic engineer, told the council that the fee is necessary because city employees spend 980 hours annually reviewing traffic and parking plans.

Councilman William D. Ehrle, the sole dissenter on the council, said he opposed the plan because “it will just add another fee onto those we have already imposed on developers.”