By Cris Alarcon, InEDC Writer. (May 28, 2025)
PLACERVILLE, Calif. — El Dorado County officials have identified and corrected a significant error in the county’s housing data that affected long-term growth projections and the calculation of traffic impact fees through 2045.
The discrepancy was discovered during a routine review of the Traffic Impact Fee (TIF) Program and the Capital Improvement Program (CIP). According to the Department of Transportation, the miscalculation stemmed from the incorrect subtraction of newly approved but unbuilt housing units from the baseline housing data, rather than adding them. This resulted in an underestimation of the county’s growth capacity, particularly impacting the El Dorado Hills Community Region.
“The Department of Transportation discovered an error in the report prepared by a consultant in late March, confirmed it with the consultant, and in an effort of full transparency, alerted the Board of the discrepancy, its impacts and the actions needed to correct the issue,” said Department of Transportation Director Rafael Martinez .
The corrected data has led to revisions in the list of roadway deficiency projects and adjustments to the residential and non-residential offset percentages used in calculating traffic impact fees. The Board of Supervisors is scheduled to consider the adoption of the revised TIF Update and incorporate changes to the CIP at their meeting on June 10, 2025 .
The Traffic Impact Fee is a one-time fee imposed on development projects to offset the traffic impacts of those projects. Accurate growth projections are essential to ensure that the fees collected are sufficient to fund necessary infrastructure improvements.
Residents and developers are encouraged to review the adjusted growth projections and proposed fee schedules, which are available on the county’s official website. Public comments can be submitted ahead of the June 10 meeting.
