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Berkeley OKs $2,000 zoning certificate fee and $500 noticing fee for ministerial middle-housing permits
Summary
The council approved a revised planning fee schedule to implement ministerial middle-housing approvals under new state rules: a proposed $2,000 zoning-certificate fee intended to cover about eight hours of staff time, and a $500 neighborhood-noticing fee; staff will review impacts after one year.
Berkeley’s City Council voted to adopt changes to the planning and development fee schedule that will implement ministerial approvals for middle-housing projects that become eligible under recently adopted state regulations.
Deputy Director of Planning Aileen Pearson told the council the staff recommendation is to charge a $2,000 zoning-certificate fee for middle-housing — calculated as the equivalent of approximately eight hours of staff time for review — plus a $500 neighborhood-noticing fee similar to what the city charges for accessory dwelling-unit notices. "We're proposing a zoning certificate for middle housing with a fee of $2,000 which is the equivalent of about 8 hours of staff time," Pearson said in her presentation.
Management Analyst Jim Bondi elaborated that staff expects, on balance, fees to be 50 to 75 percent less costly for applicants than the previous discretionary process, and that staff will revisit fees after a year of administering ministerial approvals. "For projects that are exceptionally complicated," Bondi said, staff retains the right to invoice applicants for additional review time.
Council closed the public hearing on the item, moved to approve the staff recommendation, and the motion carried. The changes are scheduled to take effect Nov. 1 to align with the state middle-housing regulations; staff said they will return with any recommended adjustments following the year-long review.
Votes and actions: Council closed the public hearing, approved the staff recommendation, and directed staff to monitor fees and return if adjustments are needed.
