Murphys Builders Fees May Increase

A consultant will re-evaluate builders´ fees in the Murphys, according to a decision Monday from the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors. The Bret Harte Center Benefit Basin fee has not been re-analyzed since its inception in 1995.

“With changes in development patterns and construction costs we need to r-evaluate,” Tim McSorley, assistant public works director, said.

The consultant, Dowling Associates Inc., will take new traffic counts and examine the flow of traffic including new and proposed development. Upon completion of the analysis, the consultant will recommend a reconfiguration of Bret Harte Drive, a new fee schedule, and a new circulation plan.

The consultant will look at Bret Harte Drive, along with its Highway 4 intersection, to see if it is adequate with current and proposed land uses. It should take approximately two months for the consultant to complete the study and make a recommendation to the board, McSorley said.

The current fee is $467 for single family home and $9,441 per acre of commercial development, which is assessed prior to issuance of a building permit. “It does need to be re-examined,” Supervisor Tom Tryon said. “We´re starting to look a little more filled out,” he said. Tryon also asked to be “intricately” involved in the process.

Calaveras Enterprise story by Vanessa Turner. For more Calaveras news, click: calaverasenterprise.com