Traffic Impact Fees

Purpose of Fees

In July 1995, the Brea City Council adopted Ordinance 966, establishing Traffic Impact Fees for all new development in Brea and annexed portions of its sphere-of-influence. Based on a study conducted in 2011, the City Council adopted Resolution 2011-096, which updated the impact fees. The updated fees became effective February 4, 2012. These fees are required, in part, by Orange County’s Measure M, a transportation initiative passed by voters in 1990. More importantly, these are fair-share based fees that will serve to offset, or mitigate, the traffic impacts caused by new development.

In some cases, a developer may be required to make certain traffic improvements in addition to, or in-lieu of paying traffic impact fees. In this case, however, the total cost of traffic improvements and/or fees will not exceed the development’s fair-share toward mitigating its own impacts. Please consult with one of the city’s planners to discuss whether your project will require traffic improvements, in addition to, or in-lieu of Traffic Impact Fees.

Payment Requirements

All new development projects are subject to the Traffic Impact Fees, except:

• Alterations to an existing building
• Reconstruction (within two years), when a building has been destroyed by fire, wind, earthquakes,vandalism, or other natural or man-made disasters
• Additions to a single-family or multiple-family residence
• Construction of public schools

The required Traffic Impact Fees must be paid prior to the issuance of any building permits.

Costs

The amount of fees vary depending upon a project’s type. The amount of Traffic Impact Fees will be adjusted as necessary to reflect changes in the scope and cost of improvements, inflation, and other relevant factors. However, this is a one-time fee.

To calculate your project’s Traffic Impact Fee:

• Multiply the size of your project by the fee amount as noted in the Traffic Impact Fee Schedule (see below)
• This is your total Traffic Impact Fee payable prior to issuance of building permits

Fee Schedule

Sample Calculations

Example One

• Type: Medium density residential
• Project size: 7 dwelling units
• Fee formula: 7 x $1,453 = $10,171

Example Two

• Type: Office building
• Project size: 10,000 square feet
• Fee formula: 10,000 x $1.25 = $12,500