Title
Consider adoption of a Resolution updating the Regional Development Impact Fee Schedule for mitigation of regional transportation impacts in accordance with the updated fee schedule approved by the Monterey County Regional Development Impact Fee Joint Powers Agency.
report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors:
Adopt a resolution updating the Regional Development Impact Fee Schedule for mitigation of regional transportation impacts in accordance with the updated fee schedule approved by the Monterey County Regional Development Impact Fee Joint Powers Agency.
SUMMARY:
The Monterey County Regional Development Impact Fee Joint Powers Agency (RDIF Agency), a Joint Powers Agency administered by the Transportation Agency of Monterey County (TAMC), is required to update the Regional Development Impact Fee (RDIF) Program. The purpose of the RDIF Agency is to collect, administer, and expend Regional Development Impact Fees for the purpose of mitigating regional transportation impacts of new development. On June 26, 2013, the TAMC Board of Directors sitting as the RDIF Board of Directors approved an updated fee schedule. The regional fee update is based on revisions to the regional travel forecast model, General Plan updates, project financing, and population growth projections that have occurred since the RDIF Program started in August 2008. For the updated fees to go into effect, the governing boards of the RDIF Agency member jurisdictions must adopt the updated fee schedule. By adopting the proposed resolution, the Board would update the regional development impact fees in accordance with the fee schedule approved by the RDIF Agency Board of Directors.
DISCUSSION:
On June 3, 2008, the Board of Supervisors took the following actions to establish the Regional Development Impact Fee program in the County:
1. Considered the certified Environmental Impact Report for the 2005 Monterey County Regional Transportation Plan and Addendum for the Regional Development Impact fee Program prepared by TAMC and adopted findings, a statement of overriding considerations, and a mitigation monitoring program for the Regional Development Impact Fee Program pursuant to California Environmental Quality Act.
2. Approved a Joint Powers Agreement among the County and at least eight cities in Monterey County to create the Monterey County Regional Development Impact Fee Joint Powers Agency to administer the Regional Development Impact fees.
3. Adopted an Ordinance adding Chapter 12.90 to the Monterey County Code to establish a Regional Development Impact Fee Program for mitigation of traffic impacts of new development.
4. Set the base amount of the Regional Development Impact Fees.
Per the Joint Powers Agreement and Government Code section 66001(d), TAMC as administrator of the RDIF Agency must review and update the fees as appropriate every five years. The initial step of TAMC's update process was to run the regional travel demand forecast model to identify the base year (2013) and horizon year (2030) travel conditions, and the number of new trips generated between those years. The regional travel demand model has undergone several iterations since the regional fees were initially calculated. The currently available version of the model forecasts considerably fewer trips than the 2008 regional fee nexus study, with the majority of trip reductions coming from the Greater Salinas and South County zones.
After the initial regional fee program was adopted in 2008, AMBAG performed an update to the regional travel demand model in 2010 that used lower growth projections from the jurisdictions. This resulted in the number of new vehicles being forecasted in the model to be significantly reduced. As the most recently adopted model, the 2010 version is what was used to update the regional development impact fee.
With the modeling and deficiency analysis complete, TAMC staff used the project list from the 2008 regional fee as a starting point to identify transportation improvement projects that would be necessary to address horizon year impacts to regional roadways. From the original list of seventeen projects, there were several updates as follows:
US-101 Widening through Salinas
The Westside Bypass project was originally included in the regional fee program as an alternative to widening US-101 through Salinas. The City of Salinas has since made US-101 widening a priority project and requested that this project be included and the Westside Bypass be removed. Both projects cost the same and address the same impacts to US-101, so there is no net change.
County Projects
The County requested that three North County projects be included with the regional fee: G11 (San Juan Road between Porter Drive and Hwy 101), G12 (San Miguel Canyon Road between Highway 101 to Hall Road and Hall Road between San Miguel Canyon and Elkhorn Road)(San Miguel Canyon Road between Elkhorn Road to Hwy 101), and Salinas Road between Elkhorn Road to Hwy 1. (REVISED DURING BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEETING)
South County Interchanges
US-101 interchange projects are phased to 70 percent of the total project cost to keep the South County interchanges in TAMC program without increasing existing fees.
US 101 / San Juan Road Interchange
This project has been fully funded up to the regional fee threshold and was removed from the list of projects.
Del Monte Corridor
Improvements to Lighthouse Avenue were removed from this project and the cost was adjusted accordingly.
With these adjustments to the project list, the total cost of all projects is $820 million (consistent with the 2008 study total of $871 million). Of that amount, the draft regional fees would fund $118 million plus expenses for transit capacity and administrative costs, which brings the total to $129 million. This amount is less than the 2008 regional fee fund estimate of $216 million in revenues due to the aforementioned reduction in new vehicle trips.
The amount of the regional fees in each zone is determined by the cost of the projects and number of new vehicle trips in that zone. For example, the updated regional fees for the North County zone increase from $370 to $460 per trip due to the addition of the G11 San Juan Road project that was added to the program at the County of Monterey's request. The fees for the Greater Salinas zone slightly increase from $291 to $327 per trip due to a significant reduction in the number of new vehicle trips that are forecasted for the zone, resulting in the cost of the projects to be spread over fewer trips. The fees for the Peninsula / South Coast zone decrease from $315 to $209 per trip due to the reduction in the project cost of the Del Monte Improvement project. The fees for the South County zone remain the same at $467 per trip as the cost of the US-101 interchange projects in that zone were phased to help control the costs.
Exhibit A provides the current TAMC fee schedule and Exhibit B provides the proposed fee schedule. These fee schedules detail the proposed fee changes by land use designation and location.
TAMC fee program applies on roads affected by regional traffic only. For roads under County's jurisdiction and for traffic impacts on County roads due to new development, Countywide Traffic Impact Fee Program is being prepared.
CEQA:
Pursuant to California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), on May 25, 2005, TAMC, acting as Lead Agency, certified an Environmental Impact Report ("final EIR") for the 2005 Monterey County Regional Transportation Plan and, on January 23, 2008, adopted an Addendum evaluating the environmental effects associated with the implementation of the Development Impact Fee Program. County considered these documents and adopted CEQA findings and a statement of overriding considerations and mitigation monitoring program in 2008 (Attachment C). TAMC staff determined that the changes proposed in the program did not require revisions of the previous environmental documents.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
TAMC has requested that the County as a member of the Joint Powers Agency consider adopting a resolution to update the regional fees before August 31, 2013. The Office of the County Counsel and Auditor-Controller Office have reviewed and approved Amendment No. 3 as to form and legality, and fiscal provisions. Due to the late submission of this Board Report, the CAO Budget and Analysis Division was not provided adequate time to fully review for potential fiscal, organizational policy, or other implications to the County of Monterey.
FINANCING:
There is no financial impact to the General Fund or the Road Fund. The Regional Development Impact Fee, in the amounts set forth in the fee schedule, will be assessed and collected pursuant to conditions of approval on land use entitlements pursuant to County's RDIF program set forth in Chapter 12.90 of the County Code, and will be deposited directly into an appropriate account specified by TAMC. The Regional Development Impact Fee program is expected to generate $129 million for regional transportation improvement projects over 20 years.
Prepared by: Saba Engineer, P.E., Senior Civil Engineer, (831) 755-4940
Approved by:
_________________________________________
Robert K. Murdoch, P.E., Director of Public Works
Approved by:
________________________________________
Benny J. Young, RMA Director
Dated: August 19, 2013
Attachments: Resolution; Exhibit A - TAMC Regional Development Impact Fee Current Schedule; Exhibit B - TAMC Regional Development Impact Fee Updated Schedule; Exhibit C-2008 CEQA Resolution; Exhibit D - 2005 Environmental Impact Report; Exhibit E - Addendum to the 2005 Environmental Impact Report (Attachments on file with the Clerk of the Board)