City reports $458,400 in park fees for 2024; 12 parks added and 23.8 acres added to system

Carla Chavez, Parks Planning and Development Manager, presented the Parks Special Fund report to the City Planning Commission on Jan. 16, saying the city received $458,400 in parkland dedication fees in 2024 and added 23.80 acres to the park system from projects completed last year.

Chavez summarized the parkland dedication ordinance (established in 1989) and the fee schedule she reported: $1,370 per single-family unit, $680 per multifamily unit and $1,000 per acre for nonresidential subdivisions. She said park fees are deposited into zone-specific accounts; the city is divided into five main park zones and 48 park zones in total.

Chavez gave zone-level figures she said reflect totals since 2013 and allocations to date: northwest park zones—$3.4 million received, $2.4 million allocated, $1.0 million unallocated; Central—$607,858 received, $582,803 allocated, $55,055 unallocated; Mission Valley—$1.3 million received, $1.0 million allocated, $282,332 unallocated; East—$3.3 million received, $2.5 million allocated, $888,381 unallocated; Northeast—$2.2 million received, $1.7 million allocated, $493,028 unallocated.

Chavez listed projects supplemented with parkland-dedication funds in 2024: resurfacing a pickleball court at Skyland Optimist Park ($2,398) and a new playground at Arrington Park ($106,515). She said 12 parks were completed and transferred into the park system in 2024 and that Chamizar Recreation Center (in the central area) opened in 2022. Chavez said the department expects to add eight new parks totaling about 18 acres in 2025.

Commissioners questioned how zone allocations affect areas with limited recent subdivision activity. Chair Alfredo Borrego and Commissioner Brandon Carrillo said central-area neighborhoods receive fewer park-fee deposits because there has been less new residential subdivision in that area; staff said the fee deposits reflect where new subdivision activity occurs. Chavez and staff noted other funding sources have been used for park improvements where park-fee revenue was limited—Chavez and staff referenced the Quality of Life bond, Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds and partnerships for some projects.

Chavez said parkland dedication funding is intended to produce standard amenities—playgrounds, benches, trees, irrigation—and that parks funding also supports recreation centers, senior centers and pools. She told commissioners the park fee schedule has not been updated since 2008 and that staff intends to review the fee levels as construction cost increases warrant.

No formal action was taken at the Jan. 16 meeting; Chavez’s report was received and commissioners asked staff to pursue master-plan funding options and possible fee updates as part of park-system planning.