Yuba City to freeze building impact fees to spur construction

Yuba City City Council members support a year-long freeze on development impact fees for single-family homes — an action supporters say will save construction jobs that would be lost if fees increased.

Aaron Busch, community development director for the city, said fees would remain at $35,717, rather than increase to $51,034, after action the council is expected to take at its Feb. 19 meeting.

"Fees need to be appropriate," Mayor John Buckland said. "It's important that we do something."

Council members backed freezing the fees Tuesday after several speakers said construction jobs were at stake.

Holly Shackelford, business development representative for Interwest Homes in Yuba City, said the fee issue is crucial.

"It's the only way to keep construction jobs," she said Wednesday.

Shackelford and other supporters of freezing the fees also spoke to City Council members at their meeting Tuesday.

Brian Winship of Winship Brothers Construction said Interwest Homes, which asked the city to freeze the fees, can move forward with work that will involve Winship if the current fees continue.

Without the construction, Winship said, he would have to let four workers go.

Yuba City issued 15 single-family building permits last year and 14 were to Interwest, Busch said in a report to the council.

Despite the continued poor market for new home sales, Interwest expects additional sales this year if prices remain unchanged, Busch added.

At least 95 percent of subcontractors and suppliers Interwest uses are local, he said.

CONTACT Ryan McCarthy at rmccarthy@appealdemocrat.com or 749-4780. Find him on Facebook at /ADrmccarthy or on Twitter at @ADrmccarthy.