(a) Ordinance No. 224-81 originally enacted the TIDF in 1981, codified in Chapter 38 of the Administrative Code. Chapter 38 was amended several times between 1981 and 2004. In 2004, Ordinance No. 199-04 repealed and replaced the existing Chapter 38, which was subsequently amended, and then repealed in 2010 by Ordinance 108-10, which relocated the TIDF from the Administrative Code to this Code. In determining the applicable TIDF due for a project under this Section 411.9, MTA shall calculate the TIDF based upon the law in effect on the date of issuance of the first building or site permit for the project. Subsequent references to "former Administrative Code Chapter 38" in this section 411.9 shall be intended to refer to that Chapter as it read on the date of issuance of the first building or site permit for the project in question.
(b) MTA shall be responsible for determining the TIDF to the City for new development for which the City issued a building or site permit prior to July 1, 2010. In such cases, MTA shall determine the TIDF as follows:
(1) Where MTA has determined that such new development may be subject to the TIDF, the Director of Transportation or his or her designee may cause the County Recorder to record a notice that the new development is potentially subject to the TIDF under this Article. Such notice shall identify the development project and state that MTA is evaluating whether the project is subject to the TIDF as well as the amount of any potential liability. The notice shall also state that if MTA subsequently determines that a TIDF is due on the project and the amount due is not paid, MTA may impose a lien on the property in accordance with this Article. Where the Director of Transportation or his or her designee has caused this notice to be recorded and subsequently concludes that the project is not subject to the TIDF, the Director of Transportation or his or her designee shall promptly record a notice identifying the project and stating that the agency has determined that the project is not subject to the TIDF.
(2) MTA shall send a Preliminary TIDF Notice to the project sponsor informing the project sponsor of MTA's proposed determination that TIDF is due for the project and requesting that the sponsor file with MTA, on such form as MTA may develop, a report indicating the number of gross square feet of use of the new development and any other information that MTA may require to determine the project sponsor's obligation to pay the TIDF.
(3) The Preliminary TIDF Notice shall:
(A) identify the development project;
(B) state the legal authority for imposing the TIDF;
(C) specify the preliminary amount of the fee that MTA calculates the sponsor owes based on the information available to the agency, which amount MTA shall calculate on the basis of the number of gross square feet of new development, multiplied by the square foot rate in effect at the time of building or site permit issuance for each of the applicable economic categories within the new development under former Administrative Code Chapter 38, and taking into account any exceptions or credits provided therein; and
(D) list the name and contact information for the staff person at MTA responsible for calculating the TIDF.
(4) When calculating the TIDF for a development project in which there is a change of use such that the rate charged for the new economic activity category is higher than the rate charged for the existing economic activity category, the TIDF per square foot rate for the change of use shall be the difference between the rate charged for the new use and the existing use.
(5) The project sponsor shall submit the report of gross square feet of use to MTA not later than 15 calendar days from the date of mailing of the Preliminary TIDF Notice.
(6) After receiving the report of gross square feet of use, or if no response is received from the project sponsor within 15 calendar days from the date of mailing of the Preliminary TIDF Notice, MTA shall prepare a Final TIDF Determination for the project by determining the fee under Subsection 411.9(b)(3)(C), taking into account any additional information received from the project sponsor since the Preliminary TIDF Notice. The Final TIDF Determination shall also contain the information required by Subsection 411.9(b)(3)(A), (B) and (D) and inform the project sponsor of the sponsor's right to seek review of the determination in accordance with either Section 411.9(c) or (d).
(7) MTA shall cause the Final TIDF Determination to be addressed to the project sponsor and deposited in the U.S. Mail on the date of issuance of that Report. In addition, MTA shall transmit the Final TIDF Determination to DBI in the case of projects subject to Section 411.9(c).
(c) Where the City issued a building or site permit prior to July 1, 2010 and the City has not issued the First Certificate of Occupancy for that development, DBI shall be responsible for collection of the fee due consistent with the otherwise applicable requirements set forth in this Article and the San Francisco Building Code. For purposes of this paragraph, the Final TIDF Determination shall be treated as a Project Development Fee Report.
(d) Notwithstanding any provisions to the contrary in the San Francisco Building Code, where the TIDF may be owed to the City for new development for which the City issued a building or site permit prior to July 1, 2010, and the City issued the First Certificate of Occupancy for the new development on or before the effective date of this Section 411.9, MTA shall be responsible for the collection of the fee due in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Subsection 411.9(d).
(1) Recording of Fee. Once MTA has prepared the Final TIDF Determination, the Director of Transportation or his or her designee may cause the County Recorder to record a notice that the development is subject to the TIDF. The County Recorder shall serve or mail a copy of such notice to the project sponsor and the owners of the real property described in the notice. The notice shall include (i) a description of the real property subject to the fee; (ii) a statement that the development is subject to the fee; and (iii) a statement that the MTA has determined the amount of the fee to which the project is subject under this Section and related provisions of this Article. Where the Director of Transportation or his or her designee has caused this notice to be recorded and the Final TIDF Determination is either paid or subsequently revised or reversed following review under paragraphs 411.9
(d)(2) or (3) of this Section, the Director of Transportation or his or her designee shall promptly cause the County Recorder to record a notice stating that either (i) the agency has revised the amount of TIDF due; (ii) the agency has determined that the project is not subject to the TIDF; or (iii) that the fee has been paid. The County Recorder shall also serve or mail a copy of such notice to the project sponsor and the owners of the real property described in the notice.
(2) Dispute Resolution. If the project sponsor disputes the accuracy of the Final TIDF Determination, including the mathematical calculation of the number of gross square feet subject to the fee, the project sponsor may request a review of the Final TIDF Determination by the Director of Transportation. The project sponsor shall submit any request for review not later than 15 calendar days after the date of issuance of the Final TIDF Determination. The Director of Transportation shall attempt to resolve the dispute in consultation with the project sponsor, and may request additional information from either MTA staff or the project sponsor. The Director of Transportation shall issue his or her decision in writing to the project sponsor not later than 30 calendar days from receipt of the review request, unless the project sponsor and the Director of Transportation mutually agree to extend this period. The Director of Transportation shall cause the decision to be placed in the U.S. Mail on the date of issuance.
(3) Appeal to MTA Board of Directors.
(A) The project sponsor may appeal the decision of the Director of Transportation on the Final TIDF Determination to the MTA Board of Directors by submitting a written notice of appeal, accompanied by payment of the full amount of the contested fee, to the Secretary of the MTA Board not later than 15 calendar days after the date of issuance of the Director of Transportation's decision. Any portion of the fee that is not upheld upon appeal to the MTA Board of Directors shall be refunded as set forth in subparagraph (D) below.
(B) In order to appeal to the MTA Board of Directors under this Section, a project sponsor appellant must first have attempted to resolve the dispute or question by following the procedure in Section 411.9
(d)(2). The MTA Board Secretary may not accept an appeal for filing under this subsection unless the appellant submits written evidence of this prior attempt.
(C) In hearing any appeal of the Final TIDF Determination, the MTA Board's jurisdiction is strictly limited to determining whether the mathematical calculation of the TIDF is accurate and resolving any technical disputes over the use, occupancy, floor area, unit count and mix, or other objective criteria upon which the applicable provisions of law dictated the calculation.
(D) The MTA Board shall schedule the appeal for hearing within 90 calendar days of the date of submission of the appeal, and shall issue a decision within 60 days of hearing the appeal. Within five business days of the MTA Board's decision, the MTA Board Secretary shall cause the decision of the MTA Board to be placed in the U.S. Mail addressed to the appellant. The decision shall be accompanied by any refund of the TIDF paid due to appellant following the MTA Board's decision. Any amount refunded shall bear interest at the rate of 2/3 of 1 percent per month or fraction thereof, or the average rate of interest computed over the preceding 6-month period obtained by the San Francisco Treasurer on deposits of public funds at the time the refund is made, whichever rate is lower, and shall be computed from the date of payment of the fee to the date of refund plus interest.
(4) Payment and Collection.
(A) Payment of TIDF. The TIDF shall be due and payable to the MTA not later than 30 days after the date of mailing of the Final TIDF Determination unless the project sponsor has timely requested review by the Director of Transportation under Section 411.9
(d)(2) or initiated an appeal to the MTA Board of Directors under Section 411.9
(d)(3), in which case any TIDF shall be due and payable to MTA on the earlier of 30 days after the date of the Director of Transportation's decision under Section 411.9
(d)(2) or at the time of submission of the written notice of appeal to the MTA Board of Directors under Section 411.9
(d)(3)(A) above.
(B) Payment of the TIDF imposed under this section is delinquent if (i) in the case of a fee not payable in installments, the fee is not paid by the dates set forth in the preceding paragraph; or (ii) in the case of a fee for Integrated PDR subject to Section 428A of this Code, any installment of the fee is not paid within 30 days of the date fixed for payment. In such case, MTA shall mail an additional request for payment to the project sponsor stating that:
(i) If the amount due is not paid within 30 days of the date of mailing of the additional request and notice, interest at the rate of one and one-half percent per month or portion thereof shall be assessed upon the fee due and shall be computed from the date of delinquency until the date of payment; and
(ii) If the account is not current within 30 days of the date of mailing of the additional request and notice, MTA shall institute lien proceedings in accordance with Section 408(b).
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