System Development Charges (SDCs)

The Hood River Valley Parks & Recreation District updated their system development charges methodology through public process in 2017. View the updated SDC Methodology Report.

Q: What are SDCs?

A: SDC stands for System Development Charge. SDCs are one-time fees assessed on new development to cover a portion of the costs of providing certain types of public capital facilities to address impact created by new development. Oregon law provides for establishment of SDC fees for transportation, water, wastewater (sewer), stormwater, and parks and recreation facilities.

Parks and Recreation SDCs cover a portion of the cost to provide for parks and recreation facilities that are needed to serve the Hood River Valley’s growing community. Parks SDC money can be spent only on capital improvements that increase the capacity of parks and recreation in order to offset the impact of new development. SDC funds can’t be used for operations and maintenance of park facilities.

Q: What is an SDC Methodology?

A: Simply put. The SDC Methodology is a study that identifies how much funding will be needed to pay for the expansion of the park system due to development, and then divides those costs by the projected development to establish a fee.