The cost of new growth

The Chico City Council recently voted to approve an impact fee that would go toward building a new Butte County Jail. The matter was met with resistance from a group of building contractors who said existing fees, which come with the issuance of a new housing permit, are already too steep. (The new fee would run $455 per house and $363 per apartment unit.) Existing fees include:

• Street facility improvement fee ($3,973 per house; $2,747 per apartment unit)

• Basic park facility fee ($2,913 per house; $2,465 per apartment unit)

• Police protection building and equipment fee ($834 per house; $940 per apartment unit)

• Fire protection building and equipment fee ($732 per house; $581 per apartment unit)

• Bidwell Park land acquisition fee ($199 house; $177 per apartment unit)

• Administrative building fee ($190 per house; $164 per apartment unit)