YORBA LINDA : Landscaping Fees Hearing Is Scheduled

The City Council will have a final public hearing tonight on a proposed assessment plan for the city’s lighting and landscaping district.

Until now, residents on the newer, east side of the city have paid an assessment that includes landscaping and lighting costs for their neighborhoods and the city’s major streets.

Residents of the older, west side of the city have traditionally paid only the cost of lighting. Their landscaping costs were paid out of the city’s main operating fund.

The proposed assessment fee would narrow the payment gap between residents of the east and west sides by requiring all city residents to pay $37.88 per parcel for landscaping of the city’s main streets, and $15.02 for lighting and traffic signals, Public Works Director Roy Stephenson said.

West side residents would see their fees rise $37.88--the cost of landscaping for main streets. However, they would still be exempt from landscaping fees for their neighborhoods, Stephenson said.

Most assessments on the east side would drop between $2 and $20 if the fee schedule is passed, he said. Combined fees for local and major street landscaping now range from about $112 to $400 per parcel on the east side, when other costs are included.

The council is scheduled to hear comments about the proposed fee changes and vote on the matter tonight. The meeting will take place at 4845 Casa Loma Ave. at 6:30 p.m.