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Chamber: Fee hike still too high By MARGOT MOHSBERG, Staff Writer The Queen Anne's County Chamber of Commerce yesterday blasted plans to dramatically increase impact fees on commercial development, saying they will drive away businesses that could move here. In a letter sent to the Board of County Commissioners, chamber President Francis Roudiez said approving the stiffer rates, which include increases of up to 800 percent, would convince businesses to open in neighboring counties where the onetime fees are lower or nonexistent. "The (chamber's) efforts to attract employers who will keep our residents in the county with high-paying jobs will be pointless given the lower costs in all surrounding counties," he wrote. Board President George O'Donnell, D-Queenstown, said yesterday that he had not yet seen the chamber's letter but the commissioners had "expected that (it) would weigh in." He said he was surprised that the chamber, which represents 488 businesses, didn't back the proposal to "discount" the increase in impact fees on projects in growth areas. It will be 400 percent, rather than the 800 percent. On March 19, the commissioners unveiled a plan that also included commercial fees ranging from 30 cents to $1.53 per square foot. That is nearly 43 percent lower than an October proposal which the Chamber sharply criticized. That proposal set fees from 52 cents to as much as $2.20 per square foot based on the classification. The current charge is 15 cents per square foot. The impact fee on residential development would nearly triple from $2,335 per single-family home to $6,360. Mr. Roudiez wrote it would be "hypocritical" if the commissioners approve the proposed fees while at the same time saying they are trying to attract business to the county. Mr. O'Donnell said that the commissioners will consider the chamber's comments and "if there are some areas that we can improve, I'm sure we'll look at them," he said. The commissioners plan to
hold a public hearing on the proposed impact fee rates in the next two
months and typically vote a week or two afterward.
Published March 27, 2002,
The
Capital, Annapolis, Md.
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