Charlottesville proposes raising development fees

Charlottesville has proposed raising a slew of fees related to development.

The fees, which mostly relate to building and operating in the city, are expected to generate an additional $100,000 in annual revenue and apply to everything from the amount leveled on inspecting an amusement ride to applying for the right to build on “critical” or steep slopes.

City spokesman Ric Barrick said in an e-mail that about 75 percent of the fees are increasing and mostly will affect developers.

Jim Tolbert, the city’s director of neighborhood development services, wrote in a memo to city councilors that increases in fees would better help the city cover its costs. The new fees would “better reflect the cost of processing applications and … recuperate the cost of required mailings and advertisements.”

Valerie Long, a lawyer who represents area developers, said the reaction to the new fees has not been strong. Most are moderate or small increases, though she said homeowners and residents making applications would be harder hit than bigger development firms.

She said that while budgets are tighter than normal for many developers, “with that being said, I don’t think it’s an unreasonable approach [to recover costs].”

The City Council is expected to discuss the matter Monday.