Council agrees to continue developer fee

The Costa Mesa City Council has agreed to continue a fee the city charges developers for new projects.

The one-time fee is levied for the extra burden that new developments — residential, commercial and industrial — have on local infrastructure.

Tuesday’s vote was unanimous.

The fee takes into account the average number of daily trips a project generates, a number forecast by city staff calculations.

The maximum charge is $181 per trip, if the development generates more than 100 trips daily.

The fee, adopted in 1993, is reviewed annually. It has stayed at the $181 maximum since 2005.

The majority of a seven-person ad-hoc committee tasked with examining the fee structure recommended that it remain as is.

The fee imposition allows the city to remain eligible for funds through Measure M, the county’s voter-approved sales tax for transportation projects.

—Bradley Zint

Twitter: @bradleyzint