BURBANK : Developers to be Charged New Fees

Burbank has moved to charge commercial developers fees for building in the city to pay for the increased demand on city services that results from new construction.

The fees would be used to pay for improvements to streets and public transportation as well as increased services from fire, police, parks and the library needed to keep pace with growth created by developers.

The fees amount to:

* $5.04 per square foot for office construction,

* $2.68 per square foot for manufacturing operations and

* $2.65 per square foot for warehouses.

With unanimous approval by the City Council on Tuesday, the new fee schedule is expected to go into effect in two months.

By improving the city’s infrastructure, officials hope to attract new business or encourage existing businesses to expand.

The fees will not affect residential development.

By imposing the fees, the city is removing a lot of the guesswork for developers who normally would not know the costs of a development, including that of an environmental impact statement, until they have gone through a lengthy application process.