Parking Fees Go Up In Murphys

Parking fees, assessed on new development in Murphys, will go up from $2,250 per space to $4,029 per space, the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors decided Monday.

Parking fees had not been reevaluated since 1991, Kim Hansen, planning director, said.

The fee was calculated to reflect increased cost of construction and land. The calculations showed it costs $2,517 for construction and $1,512 for the cost of land to develop one parking space in Murphys.

In an effort to encourage commercial development, the fees were originally created as an alternative to providing on-site parking, which is limited.

This seems like a significant increase, Supervisor Paul Stein said. Supervisor Tom Tryon, who represents the Murphys area, said he hasn’t heard any opposition to the increased fee.

Supervisors also changed the assessment boundary to include areas that are anticipated to grow. The new boundary incorporates Big Trees Road, the rest of Main and Jones streets to the east, Scott Street and the southern portion of Algiers Street.

Planning staff members had recommended the board set up an annual review with an automatic adjustment to offset changing construction costs. Tryon suggested, and the board agreed, that the board review the fee annually instead of having the fee automatically adjusted. “I just don´t like setting things on autopilot,” Tryon said.

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