Common Questions
Regarding Annexation to Calleguas MWD
- When is Annexation necessary? If
you plan to develop land not already within the service area of Calleguas (and
Metropolitan Water District of Southern California) and expect the project
to receive water provided even partly by one of Calleguas’ member
purveyors, annexation to Calleguas is required before a building permit is
issued and water service established. Land served entirely by private
wells, or by other agencies not associated with Calleguas need not annex
to Calleguas.
- How do I determine if my land is within
Calleguas’ service area? The easiest method is to look at
the property tax bill for the parcel.
Virtually all land annexed to Calleguas is assessed with the
Standby Charge, a small parcel charge that will appear on the right hand
side of the tax bill under Special Assessments. If the Calleguas Standby Charge is
listed, the land is within the District.
If not, the land is probably outside the District.
- What costs are associated with
annexation? There are three categories of cost
to consider. Administrative
expenses begin at about $14,000 and include such expenses as application
fees to other agencies, the preparation of a map and legal description and
staff time at Calleguas.
Administrative costs vary, but do not increase rapidly as an
annexation grows larger. They may also be shared by multiple properties in
a single annexation. In addition, Calleguas and Metropolitan impose
annexation fees that presently total $5,351 per acre. In rare instances,
the back-tax fee formula is applied to assessed valuation as an
alternative fee. Click here for more detail. Finally, once annexed, the project will
also bear the Capital Construction Charge when building permits are
applied for. Click
here for Capital Construction
Charge information.
- How long does annexation take?
At a minimum, eight and a half months from the day an applicant
delivers a deposit for the administrative expenses and key
information. Nine months or
slightly more is typical and delays in obtaining necessary documents or
municipal approvals are common. Click here for
more detail.
- How do I start the process? Call, write or e-mail (cjohnson@calleguas.com) Calleguas
with the identification (Assessor’s Parcel Number(s), address, legal
description) of the land in question, a brief description of the proposed
project and the status of the project.
Calleguas will provide a detailed written response that will
enumerate the documents and information required to initiate annexation,
and an estimate of expenses and fees for the particular land
involved.
You are welcome to call with other questions at 805 579-7129.