Manatee County impact fee hikes pale in comparison with neighbors

Does this sound familiar? County commissioners declare that developers and builders should pay their fair share for the construction of new roads based on the additional traffic that new developments produce. This scenario is playing out across the state as counties come up with new and higher fee schedules with the attendant push-back from home building, real estate and commercial interests.

In Manatee County in December, developers and builders objected to the commission's adoption of a fee schedule that implements a consultant's recommendation at 80 percent the first year, 90 percent the second and 100 percent the third year. In expressing their opposition, the impact fee foes claimed there were "significant failings" in the consultant's study, this about a company that has conducted more than 900 such studies across the country.

The exact amount of the fee depends on the size, use and location of new residential and commercial construction. The county is only reinstating impact fees close to the levels assessed in 2006 before the real estate industry collapsed, and commissioners reduced fees to help keep builders in business.

When the 80 percent level went into effect last week, Manatee County is now charging from around $44,000 to $32,000 for a 4,000-square-foot drive-through restaurant -- depending on which geographic zone the business is located. At 100 percent three years from now, those figures will reach from $56,000 to $40,000 respectively.

By comparison, Hillsborough County also plans to phase in impact fee increases but hit a snag last week. As reported in the Tampa Tribune, one commissioner expressed shock at the steep rise in the transportation portion of the fee and the burden on small businesses.

For that same restaurant in Hillsborough, on Jan. 1 the fee would hit $84,900 in the first year of implementation at 40 percent of the maximum, but then skyrocket to the 100 percent mark of $283,300 in the fifth and final year of the phase-in.

Faced with a barrage of criticism, this week those commissions chopped 10 percentage points off most steps in the schedule so the final assessment will be set at 90 percent instead of 100 percent of the maximum.

Still, the reduction leaves that drive-through restaurant's fee in Hillsborough inordinately higher than Manatee -- at some $250,000 versus $56,000 at the top end of Manatee's scale.

Sarasota County impact fees are far higher than Manatee's, too.

These startling comparisons should be a salve and make Manatee increases less painful.

This story was originally published April 30, 2016 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Manatee County impact fee hikes pale in comparison with neighbors ."