Introduction
This handout is intended to inform individuals of the variety of fees that may be collected by the City for new development projects. This summary also describes fees collected by other agencies with jurisdiction within the City. In these instances, the fee is not noted, but a contact at the agency is identified for further information. Fees identified herein do not include Building Permit or Planning application fees.
Purpose of Fees
Fees collected are intended to offset the cost of providing services, to maintain the City’s infrastructure (e.g. streets, storm drains, sanitary sewers, etc.), or to compensate for development project impacts upon infrastructure.
| FEE NAME | FORMULA OR FEE AMOUNT | FEE PURPOSE | RESPONSIBLE AGENCY |
| PARKLAND DEDICATION FEE | Number of Dwelling Units (for purchase only) x $1,967.98 | Required in conjunction with new residential subdivisions that generate dwelling units for purchase, pursuant to Chapter 15.09 of the City’s Subdivision Ordinance. Fee used for acquisition and improvement of parkland for additional population generated by new development. Collected as part of building permit for final map, whichever occurs first. | City of San Rafael |
| TRAFFIC MITIGATION FEE |
$5,674 .00 per Net New AM and PM Peak Hour Vehicle Trips | Fee collected to compensate for impacts of new traffic generated by a development upon the City’s street system. Funds used for Citywide traffic improvements. Collected as part of the building permit | City of San Rafael |
| STREET MAINTENANCE FEE | $0.01 x (Valuation of Improvements – $10,000.00) | Fee collected to cover the cost of maintenance of City streets, due to impacts of construction-related vehicles. Collected as part of a building permit. | City of San Rafael |
| MITIGATION MONITORING FEE | $6,471.00 Deposit (includes up to 30 hours of staff time – additional hours billed annually at fully burdened hourly rate) | Fee collected to cover the cost of staff time to review compliance with conditions of project approval relating to reduction in environmental impacts identified for projects where a “Mitigated Negative Declaration” or “Environmental Impact Report”, prepared pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) has identified such impacts. | City of San Rafael |
| WATER CONNECTION FEE | Contact Service Provider | Fee used to compensate for impacts on the water delivery system, and for improvements to the system. | Marin Municipal Water District CONTACT: (415) 945-1455 |
| SEWER CONNECTION FEE | Contact Service Provider | Fee used to compensate for impacts upon sanitary sewer facilities, and for improvements to the system. | San Rafael Sewer District (South San Rafael) CONTACT: (415) 454-4001
Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District (North San Rafael) CONTACT: (415) 472-1734 |
| DEVELOPMENT IMPACT FEE | $0.12 x Square Feet of Commercial Space.
$0.06 x Square Feet of Industrial Space. $127.50 per Bedroom for Residential Uses |
Fee collected to cover the cost of the new development’s impact upon public facilities and services in the City. Collected as part of a building permit. | City of San Rafael |
| SCHOOL FEE | $3.79 per new square feet for residential developments.
$0.61 per new square foot for nonresidential developments. Updated 9/28/18 |
Fee collected to cover the cost of new development’s impact upon school facilities. May be used for maintenance and/or expansion of facilities. Fee is NOT collected by the City, but rather by the school District. Proof of payment must be shown to the City before issuance of the building permit. | San Rafael City Schools CONTACT: (415) 492-3233
Dixie School District CONTACT: (415) 492-370 |
| GENERAL PLAN MAINTENANCE FEE | 9.6% Surcharge on Building Permit Fee | Fee collected to cover the cost of periodic updates of the City’s General Plan. Collected as part of a building permit. | City of San Rafael |
| GENERAL PLAN 2020 IMPLEMENTATION FEE | 25.9% Surcharge on Building Permit Fee | Fee collected to cover the cost of implementation of programs identified in the City’s General Plan 2020. Collected as part of a building permit. | City of San Rafael |
| AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN-LIEU FEE | New development projects (residential rental, residential ownership, and non-residential) are required to comply with the City’s Affordable Housing Requirements, pursuant to Section 14.16.030 of the City’s Zoning Ordinance. Developers of projects may choose to pay the Affordable Housing In-Lieu Fee, rather than provide units on the project site. Additionally, if the affordable housing requirement results in a fractional unit below 0.5 unit, the requirement may be satisfied through an in-lieu fee. As of July 1, 2023, the in-lieu fee for 1 affordable unit is $362,817. | Affordable Housing In-Lieu fees collected by the City are used to support the development of rental and ownership housing units for very low, low and moderate-income households. Collected as part of a building permit. | City of San Rafael |