POLICY BRIEF: DEVELOPMENT IMPACT FEES Around the Region: Roswell Total Fee: $3,200 (res.); $3,000 (comm.) Cherokee County Total Fee: $1,142 (res.); approx. $2,000 (comm.) Forsyth County Total Fee: $3,641 (res.); $532 (comm.) Woodstock Total Fee: $1,510 (res., no commercial fee) Peachtree City Total Fee: $2,600 (res.); $530 - $2,300 (comm.) Atlanta Total Fee: $1,544 (res.); approx. $1,300 (comm.) Communities with no impact fee program: • City of Johns Creek • City of Dunwoody • City of Suwanee • City of Smyrna • Cobb County • Gwinnett County • DeKalb County Things to Consider: Is there a current long range comprehensive plan explicitly listing transportation and green infrastructure needs and associated costs? Are there existing Infrastructure deficits, that cannot be funded through impact fees? How will those be funded? Have all available funding sources for new infrastructure been considered and included in the fee calculation? Once capital improvements are constructed using impact fees, are there dedicated funding sources for operation and maintenance costs? Is there staff in place to administer the impact fee program and maintain fiscal acountability for proper, timely expenditure of the fees? Do the impact fee service areas appropriately align infrastructure improvements with the location of new growth and development? What is the cost burden of the impact fee program? How will this impact availability of workforce housing in the community? What is the impact on economic development? Will impact fees serve to divert quality development to neighboring jurisdictions? At what level do neighboring jurisdictions collect impact fees? How will property owners’ planned development projects be vested? The Council recommends vesting all projects that have applied for Land Disturbance Permit, Preliminary Plat or Zoning Application for a period of 18 months. Impact Fees can be an effective tool for local governments to fund the expansion of government services as a community grows. In conjunction with a robust planning process and sound capital improvements plan, impact fees can fund infrastructure improvements including road capacity expansions, construction of new parks, and public safety needs to accommodate needs that are directly associated with new residents. Impact fees will only supplement the standard means of finance for capital improvements such as SPLOST, State funding from HB-170, local bonds, property taxes and federal grants. Impact fees cannot and should not be considered a panacea for funding general capital improvements, nor should they be used as a mechanism to slow or stop growth. The Council for Quality Growth works with communities across the region to ensure that impact fee programs are applied in a balanced way that does not create a negative impact on the community’s long-term economic viability and competitiveness.

Policy Brief - Impact Fees

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POLICY BRIEF: DEVELOPMENT IMPACT FEES

Around the Region:

RoswellTotal Fee: $3,200 (res.); $3,000 (comm.)

Cherokee CountyTotal Fee: $1,142 (res.); approx. $2,000 (comm.)

Forsyth CountyTotal Fee: $3,641 (res.); $532 (comm.)

WoodstockTotal Fee: $1,510 (res., no commercial fee)

Peachtree CityTotal Fee: $2,600 (res.); $530 - $2,300 (comm.)

AtlantaTotal Fee: $1,544 (res.); approx. $1,300 (comm.)

Communities with no impact fee program:• City of Johns Creek• City of Dunwoody• City of Suwanee• City of Smyrna• Cobb County• Gwinnett County• DeKalb County

Things to Consider:

Is there a current long range comprehensive plan explicitly listing transportation and green infrastructure needs and associated costs?

Are there existing Infrastructure deficits, that cannot be funded through impact fees? How will those be funded?

Have all available funding sources for new infrastructure been considered and included in the fee calculation?

Once capital improvements are constructed using impact fees, are there dedicated funding sources for operation and maintenance costs?

Is there staff in place to administer the impact fee program and maintain fiscal acountability for proper, timely expenditure of the fees?

Do the impact fee service areas appropriately align infrastructure improvements with the location of new growth and development?

What is the cost burden of the impact fee program? How will this impact availability of workforce housing in the community?

What is the impact on economic development? Will impact fees serve to divert quality development to neighboring jurisdictions? At what level do neighboring jurisdictions collect impact fees?

How will property owners’ planned development projects be vested? The Council recommends vesting all projects that have applied for Land Disturbance Permit, Preliminary Plat or Zoning Application for a period of 18 months.

Impact Fees can be an effective tool for local governments to fund the expansion of government services as a community grows. In conjunction with a robust planning process and sound capital improvements plan, impact fees can fund infrastructure improvements including road capacity expansions, construction of new parks, and public safety needs to accommodate needs that are directly associated with new residents. Impact fees will only supplement the standard means of finance for capital improvements such as SPLOST, State funding from HB-170, local bonds, property taxes and federal grants. Impact fees cannot and should not be considered a panacea for funding general capital improvements, nor should they be used as a mechanism to slow or stop growth.

The Council for Quality Growth works with communities across the region to ensure that impact fee programs are applied in a balanced way that does not create a negative impact on the community’s long-term economic viability and competitiveness.