Housing development: fees.

The Mitigation Fee Act authorizes a local agency to charge or imposed a variety of fees, dedications, reservations, or other exactions in connection with the approval of a development project, as defined. Existing law, when a local agency imposes any fee or exaction as a condition of approval of a proposed development, as defined, or development project, prohibits those fees or exactions from exceeding the estimated reasonable cost of providing the service or facility for which the fee or exaction is imposed. This bill would require that a fee levied or imposed on a housing development project by a local agency be proportionate to the square footage of the proposed unit or units. By imposing additional duties on local agencies that impose fees under the Mitigation Fee Act, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.