THE EXPLORER: Weds., Sept. 3, 2008

Council likely to raise impact fees

Combatants in the battle over Oro Valley's development impact fees have dropped the gloves. Some town leaders say they plan to go forward with higher fees, while the Southern Arizona Home Builders Association has threatened to sue the town if the raft of increases gets passed.

“We'll probably end up in legal battles,” SAHBA President Ed Taczanowsky said last week.

The Oro Valley Town Council on Sept. 3 could vote to approve news fees to pay for parks, libraries and police services.

The council also plans to consider increasing existing fees for roadways and water connections. All told, impact fees would total nearly $14,000 for every new house a developer might build in town.

SAHBA leaders said they spoke with their lawyers, who in turn compiled a list of examples of how the Oro Valley study's recommendations run afoul of state law, Taczanowsky said. But the group won't release the findings to the public, at least not until its lawyers first file a claim against Oro Valley.

“I'm not concerned,” Oro Valley Town Manager David Andrews said about threats of litigation.

FULL STORY: http://www.explorernews.com/articles/2008/09/03/news/doc48bdc20716460892914449.txt