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County votes in favor of higher impact fees By MARGOT MOHSBERG, Staff Writer After 18 months of fine tuning, the Queen Anne's commissioners yesterday more than doubled the impact fee on new homes and commercial buildings. The new rate -- designed to make developers pay more for the impact of their projects on roads, schools and water and sewer -- will generate additional money for public schools and volunteer firefighters. "This will be a great help to us," said Jody Schulz, vice president of the Kent Island Volunteer Fire Department. "It is because of new growth that we have had to purchase new property and a new fire station." The new $5,744 fee to build a single family home in the county is slightly less than the $6,335 fee county officials proposed in March. But it is much higher than the current $2,335 approved 11 years ago. The commissioners reduced the rates after the county's Chamber of Commerce said it would harm economic development. Money generated by the new fee will be shared by public schools and volunteer fire departments. Schools will get $4,730 for each home, while the fire departments are getting $1,014. "We're very happy," said Edward Hammer, vice president of the Board of Education. "The growth this county is experiencing is putting quite a strain on the public school system." The commissioners changed the commercial impact fee from 15 cents per square foot to a range of 30 cents to $1.53 per square foot depending on the project. The new commercial fees include discounts up to 50 percent for projects built in or near incorporated towns and growth areas. "We have tried very hard to be sensitive to the business community and not do anything to negatively affect economic development," said George O'Donnell, president of the Board of County Commissioners. The ordinance, which will go into effect in 45 days, will apply to all projects that don't yet have building permits including: Four Seasons, Gibson's Grant, Ellendale and the proposed Wal-Mart near the foot of the Bay Bridge. Published June 5, 2002,
The
Capital, Annapolis, Md.
Note: Commissioners email: qacc@qac.org
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