CITRUS HEIGHTS, CA (MPG) - The City of Citrus Heights collects a Park Facilities Impact Fee on new development projects within the city, and the collected revenue then funds the improvement and development of park and recreation facilities. The Sunrise Recreation and Park District (SRPD) submitted a funding request for $90,000 for improvements to Rusch Park — $86,000 for new playground equipment and $4,000 for security cameras that will have a direct feed to the Citrus Heights Police Department.

The total project includes the security cameras, replacement of playground equipment, restoration of the swing set, and improvements to the covered picnic area and covered bridge near the basketball courts. Dave Mitchell, district administrator for SRPD, said that the project’s total cost is $385,000.

The SRPD Board has put in $100,000 from their general fund and allocated $39,000 of the District’s in-lieu fees (which developers pay to the park instead of meeting park or open space requirements). SRPD also received a $60,000 grant from Republic Services in February 2019 and $100,000 in Community Development Block Grant funding from the City’s Quality of Life Committee in May 2019. SRPD submitted their request for Park Facilities Impact Fee funding in July 2019 to close the project’s funding gap.

At the August 8 Citrus Heights City Council meeting, Mitchell said that the new playground area will be about twice the size of the original. The new playground equipment was selected from 14 different options that were narrowed down through five community outreach events. Well over 400 people were surveyed, and Mitchell said that the chosen design was “the number one vote getter” at all events. “We’re really, really excited and pleased to bring this project forward,” said Mitchell.

The Rusch Park improvement project meets the following Park Facilities Impact Fee eligibility requirements: the project will improve a park located within the city, it will provide a benefit to the community, and it is listed within the SRPD Master Plan.

Rusch Park is the largest community park within the District, it is the most frequently utilized park in the City, and it is the location for many recreational programs and community events. Vice Mayor Jeff Slowey said, “This particular playground that is being replaced is always in use, always packed. To make it bigger and better, I think that’s what park impact fees are for.”

The Council unanimously approved the funding for the Rusch Park improvements. Demolition of the old playground will run from September 23 through October 13, and the construction and installation phase is scheduled for October 14 through November 22.

The Council also accepted the Planning Commission’s recommendation to update the City’s affordable housing section of the Zoning Code. Local governments are required to enact affordable housing ordinances that are consistent with State law. In recent years, a number of legislative updates have been adopted at the State level, so the City is required to update their code to remain in compliance.

The California State Density Bonus Law (SDBL) was adopted to address the increased need for affordable housing. The goal of the SDBL was to mitigate the shortage of affordable housing by encouraging the development of low- and moderate-income housing units. The law has been amended many times over the years to accommodate housing needs for various income levels (very low, low, and moderate) and those with specialized needs such as seniors, students, or disabled veterans.

Constructing affordable housing can be a financial burden to the developer, so the SDBL offsets that burden by allowing developers to create more units per acre than typically permitted by the residential zoning code. After taking advantage of the increased density allowance, the developers must reserve a percentage of the units as affordable housing units for a set number of years. Prior legislation required the affordable units be reserved for 30 years, but new legislation has increased the requirement to 55 years.

Legislation also requires that developers creating affordable housing under SDBL be offered additional incentives, such as an increase in allowable building heights and reductions in the requirements for parking spaces, setbacks, and open-space.

The updates to the Zoning Code will bring the City up-to-date on the State’s affordable housing legislation through 2018, but additional changes to the code will need to be made when new legislation is passed at the State level.