Purpose: To communicate the effective date of the Parkland Dedication Ordinance year 2 and year 3 fee phase-ins.
Background: On May 14, 2018, the City of New Braunfels modernized its Parkland Dedication Ordinance. City Council adopted the new ordinance with new procedures and fees, with implementation set at 90 days after final reading. City Council included a 3-year phased approach to the new fees.
Parkland dedication and development ordinances are based on three key factors:
- current population (City+ETJ),
- existing level of service (LOS) (park land acreage owned and managed by the City), and
- the cost of land and construction.
Similar to the 2006 Parkland Dedication Ordinance, the 2018 ordinance includes a land requirement and park development fee requirement. There is also an alternative fee in-lieu of land dedicat io n. The new formula requires 1 acre of parkland for every 168 dwelling units. A developer/subdivider who wants to dedicate land to the City or develop a private park must dedicate a minimum of 2 acres, or the acreage amount required based on the formula,whichever is greater. If the parkland requirement cannot be satisfied, the developer shall pay a fee in-lieu-of land($208 per dwelling unit).
City Council did not phase-in the "fee in-lieu-of', but they did establish a phasing schedule for the park development fee:
| Park Development Fee per dwelling unit | Effective Date |
|---|---|
Year 1 (75%) $1,528 | Aug. 13, 2019 |
Year 2 (85%) $1,732 | Mar. 28, 2020 |
Year 3 (100%) $2,038 | Mar. 28, 2021 |
Pursuant to the adopted ordinance, the new park fees will not apply to any residential development for which a master plan or plat was approved on or before the ordinance's effective date, May 14, 2018.
Summary: The phasing approach to the new park development fee created a better transition for the development community than an immediate implementation would have. The year 2 phase of ordinance implementation is approaching; on March 28, 2020 the new park development fee will be $1,732 per dwelling unit.