In order to implement the goals and objectives of the city's general plan, and to mitigate the impacts caused by new development, certain improvements must be constructed. The city council has determined that a development impact fee is needed in order to finance these public improvements and to pay for the development's fair share of the construction costs of the improvements. In establishing the fee described in the following sections, the city council has found the fee to be consistent with its general plan and, pursuant to Government Code Section 65913.2, has considered the effects of the fee with respect to the city's housing needs as established in the general plan.

A development impact fee is established on issuance of all permits for development in the city of Hawthorne, California to pay for public improvements. The city council shall, in a council resolution, set forth the specific amount of the fee, describe the benefit and impact area on which the development fee is imposed, list the specific public improvements to be financed, describe the estimated costs of these facilities, describe the reasonable relationship between this fee and the various types of new developments and set forth time for payment. As described in the fee resolution, this development fee shall be paid by each developer prior to the issuance of the building permit. On an annual basis, the city council shall review this fee to determine whether the fee amounts are reasonably related to the impacts of developments and whether the described public facilities are still needed.

The revenues raised by payment of this fee shall be placed in a separate and special account and such revenues, along with any interest earning on that account, shall be used solely to:

Whenever a developer is required, as a condition of approval of a development permit, to construct a public facility described in a resolution adopted pursuant to Section 17.66.020 which facility is determined by the city to have supplemental size length or capacity over that needed for the impacts of that development, and when such construction is necessary to ensure efficient and timely construction of the facilities network, a reimbursement agreement with the developer and a credit against the fee, which would otherwise be charged pursuant to this chapter on the development project, shall be offered. The reimbursement amount shall not include the portion of the improvement needed to provide services or mitigate the need for the facility or the burdens created by the development.

A developer of any project subject to the fee described in Section 17.66.020 may apply to the city council for a reduction or adjustment to the fee, or a waiver of that fee, based upon the absence of any reasonable relationship or nexus between the impacts of the development and either the amount of the fee charged or the type of facilities to be financed. The application shall be made in writing and filed with the city clerk not later than: (1) ten days prior to the public hearing on the development permit application for the project; or (2) if no development permit is required, at the time of the filing of the application for a building permit. The application shall state in detail the factual basis for the claim of waiver, reduction, or adjustment. The city council shall consider the application at the public hearing on the permit application or at a separate hearing held within sixty days after the filing of the fee adjustment application, whichever is later. The decision of the city council shall be final. If a reduction, adjustment, or waiver is granted, any change in use within the project shall invalidate the waiver, adjustment or reduction of the fee.