Palmer may make parks mandatory

PALMER -- How much would a homeowner be willing to spend on a neighborhood park? How about $266? Willing or not, people may soon be adding that to their bill if they want to build in the city of Palmer.

The Palmer City Council is considering an ordinance that would require anyone getting a residential building permit to pay an additional, one-time charge of $266, which the city would use to develop neighborhood parks around town.

The fee for multi-family dwellings would be $180 per unit. In the case of a large subdivision or apartment complex, the developer could avoid the fees and instead opt to donate a piece of land to the city to be developed into a park.

"That's the point -- we want to build parks," Councilman John Combs said at a recent council meeting.

The ordinance is modeled after others around the country. States such as Washington and Colorado have used similar approaches, and closer to home Anchorage and Haines have also come up with ways to encourage the development of parks.

With Palmer's population growing about 7 percent a year and residential areas sprouting up from one end of town to the other, council members say there is a growing need for land to be set aside and developed into parks, or "little green places where children play," as Councilwoman Kathrine Vanover described them.

Including parks such as the tennis courts and the John Bugge Tot Lot near the post office, the city currently has less than an acre of neighborhood parkland per 1,000 residents. The result, according to the council -- children playing in residential streets. By building parks, the city aims to decrease this safety risk as well as encourage the development of parks and green belts, which the council believes will make Palmer a more attractive place to live and work.

Based on the proposed ordinance, the fees would not go into the city's general fund but instead a separate account earmarked for parks. The money could not be used to operate or maintain existing parks but must instead go toward constructing new parks. If the fee wasn't used within six years of when it was paid, it would be returned to the

homeowner.

"It's a trust fund … it's not our money," city attorney Jack Snodgrass explained.

But council members seem confident refunds won't be an issue.

"We're going to be spending the money faster than it can come in, I think," Councilman Tony Pippel said.

If the ordinance had been in place during the past five years, based on city building permit information, it would have brought in an average of $16,000 per year. But the program would not be self-sufficient -- the council anticipates it would have to kick in city funds to turn these dollars into parks.

City officials estimate it costs more than $133,000 to build an acre park with lawn, five pieces of playground equipment and picnic tables. A smaller, third-of-an-acre park with three playground pieces would run nearly $50,000.

Considering the benefits of parks, and the fact that the $266 would be a relatively small part of the overall cost of building a home in Palmer, some residents might not mind the extra fee. Others, however, might object.

"It depends on your perspective … it is that much money out of your pocket," City Manager Tom Healy said. "But we hope it is for some improvements."

While the council seems to be unanimous in its support of an ordinance such as this, some members said $266 might be too high. Councilman Brad Hanson pointed out that with the addition of the park fee, people will now have to pay nearly $1,000 to get a permit to build a home in Palmer.

At the same time, the ordinance doesn't guarantee homeowners that a park will be built in their neighborhood but rather somewhere within the city.

The city council will once again consider the ordinance at its next regular meeting, at 7 p.m. on May 13, at Palmer City Hall. Residents will also be able to share their opinions during the public hearing portion of the meeting.