SAN CLEMENTE : Lighting, Landscaping Fee Increase Approved

Each household will soon be paying about $16 more a year for the upkeep of the city’s parks, beaches and street lights.

Under a plan approved Wednesday by the City Council, a single-family household will pay about $86 a year to the lighting and landscaping assessment district, an increase of 23% from $70 previously.

“They may be called assessments, but they’re still taxes,” said resident Karoline Koester, who protested against the increase. “We’re in double trouble with all these additions and assessment districts.”

City staffers said the fees have not been increased in four years, however, despite the addition of two parks and a three-mile ridgeline trail at Rancho San Clemente.

“The fee increase this year is simply the reality that we have a lot more parkland to take care of,” Councilman Scott Diehl said. “It’s a commitment we made when we decided to build these new park facilities and renovate the older facilities.”

Most of the added fees will go for the repair of the roof at Ole Hanson Beach Club, sewer upgrades at Vista Bahia Park, restoration of the Avenida Valencia median and improvements at the Bonita Canyon Park playground, said Bruce Wegner, director of parks and recreation.

At the request of Forster Ranch property owners, the council also created an assessment district to maintain a 13-acre portion of the Forster Ranch greenbelt adjacent to Camino de los Mares.

A single-family household will pay $62.55 yearly to the district. Only those who live in the greenbelt area will be charged, Wegner said.