Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Letters &
Opinions
Speak
Out
Developers should pay their
share of the fees
The article in the Oct. 4
issue of the Willow Glen Resident, "Increase in park fees could raise
prices for new homes in San Jose," makes it sound as if it's unfair to ask
developers to pay their fair share of the costs of parklands. What actually is
unfair is for them to continue getting by on the cheap.
I, like everyone else, paid
for my share of the local parks when I bought my house. If developers build new
housing without providing for adequate parkland, then either the new residents
will inundate my local parks, which effectively reduces their value, or the
city will have to pass a tax to build the needed additional parks. In that case
I've paid for my park and then will pay again for the new parks. It seems to me
to be fairer that each developer should help pay for the added parklands, just
as developers pay for their share of the new local streets and the extension of
the sewer lines.
The dedicated parkland
in-lieu fee does that, folding a portion of the cost of the new local parks
into the price of the new homes.
Parks are a much-needed part
of the infrastructure, without which the city cannot thrive.
For the past few years, the
developers have only been paying a fraction of the cost of building local
parks, and now they are complaining that the fees are to be adjusted to match
current land values.
The developers need to pay
their fair share.
Residents should contact the
city via email with their thoughts or comments to matt.cano@sanjoseca.gov or
come to the public meeting at San Jose City Hall, 200 E. Santa Clara St., on
Oct. 24 at 7 p.m.
Lawrence Lowell Ames
Willow Street