Clark County will blend money collected for buying parks with the money meant for building them, commissioners decided Tuesday.
Since 1990, the county has collected park impact fees, one time charges on development to help pay for the infrastructure needed to serve growth. Money for park acquisition and development has been split into separate accounts since 1995. Brisk construction of parks has depleted impact fees available for development. Combining the fees collected from now on will give the county greater flexibility, said Heath Henderson, public works director.
Several neighborhood activists, however, raised concern.
“I oppose consolidation of development and acquisition fees. I’m very concerned acquisition will be given short shrift,” said Gretchen Starke of Vancouver. “I would say that given the cost of land rising, and given the impact of population growth, acquisition is more urgent — not more important, but more urgent — than development. Once the land is gone, it’s gone.”
Commissioner Tom Mielke replied, “It goes both ways.” Impact fees for development could be used to buy land in the future, he said. “Combining these is kind of a good thing.”
Commissioner Steve Stuart clarified that money already in the respective acquisition and development accounts will not be shifted, nor can the impact fees be used for maintaining parks. All park impact fees will go toward new parks, one way or another.
