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Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Board of County Commissioners is forging ahead to hold hearings on a doubling of development and impact fees.
The Board held a budget workshop on April 28, 2020 to discuss the impacts of COVID-19 on revenues. The Board recognized the unprecedented unemployment and economic strains on our community. Even so, on May 6th, the Board set public hearings to consider increases to mobility fees and park impact fees for May 20th and to consider various increases to water and wastewater fees for June 17th.
On water and wastewater impact fees and an additional fee called AGRF, the consensus of the Board appears to be that these fees are urgently needed due to growth in southern Hillsborough County. On mobility fees and park impact fees, the Board discussed but did not make a decision on any alternative phase-in approach for these fees. Any phased-in approach must be uniform for that fee. One Commissioner suggested delaying the full implementation of the fees until 2021 or 2022, while others seem poised to increase fees as quickly as possible to the maximum amount that can be legally supported.
Based on recent studies, the following chart summarizes the potential for the fees:
Fees for 2,000 s.f. home
|
Fee
|
Current |
Proposed |
Water/Wastewater
|
$3,550
|
$5,594
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AGRF
|
$0
|
$1,822
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Mobility (Urban)
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$5,094
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$7,401
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Parks
|
$325
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$2,516
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Total
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$8,969
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$17,333
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School
(already approved)
|
$4,000
|
$8,595
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Total w/ School
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$12,969
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$25,928
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These increases would follow the approved school impact fee increase taking effect in June. The chart does not capture the additional costs to future homeowners in the form of proportionate share mitigation agreements due to school concurrency seat shortfalls in various areas of the county, most notably in south Hillsborough County. Unfortunately, the additional school impact fee funding will not remedy the shortage of seats in the near future.
Additionally, the Board directed the County Attorney to come back with a plan to extend the moratoria on development within the RP-2 and WVR-2 future land use categories. Discussion suggested that an extension of 270 days-in addition to the original moratoria of 270 days-will be pursued.
Developers and landowners need to stay engaged in these issues and are strongly encouraged to write the County Commissioners well in advance about these fees and moratoria.
There are still opportunities for landowners, developers, and homebuilders to engage with commissioners and staff on these issues.
Stearns Weaver Miller's growing Land Development, Zoning & Environmental team has been involved since the beginning of this process and are continuing to monitor the effects that changing land use and development policies will have on ongoing, proposed, and future projects in Hillsborough County. Please
contact Stearns Weaver Miller should you have any questions.
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