Las Cruces, New Mexico

Multi-Facility Impact Fee Study
   

For the City of Las Cruces, Duncan Associates, in association with Rosenthal Associates and ASCG, prepared land use assumptions, an impact fee capital improvements plan and ordinance amendments to enact impact fee in compliance with the New Mexico Development Fees Act for roads, stormwater drainage and public safety (fire and police) facilities. Impact fees were calculated based on cost to serve new development projected for the period 2007 to 2017. The cost was calculated as the product of number of new service units, the level of service (LOS) and the unit cost of capital facility capacity

(cost per square foot for building space, cost per vehicle-mile of travel, etc.). Number of service units was based on the land use assumptions. The LOS used was the current service provision standard. The unit cost of improvements was the current cost of capital facility service provision as defined by staff (stormwater facilities cost is based on engineering analysis by ASCG). The drainage impact fees were calculated using both the “representative area” approach and an “end-state” analysis. The project was put on hold for a period due to political considerations, but the study is now under active review.