City Council members raised transportation impact fees on new development that will help the city pay for arterials, but by less than staff members proposed.
The fee on a new single-family home will rise to $3,000 from $2,000, a fee hike supported by development and business groups.
Under the staff proposal, the impact fee – paid before permits are issued - would have increased to $3,680 on a single-family home.
Mayor Betsy Price and council members said they were reluctant to raise fees any higher, citing the nascent nature of the housing industry’s recovery. Councilman Danny Scarth, however, proposed the council revisit the fees in a few years. The North Fort Worth Alliance umbrella group of 22 homeowner organizations reiterated its support Tuesday night to take impact fees higher than the staff proposal.
The current fees pay for 1.1 miles of arterials, the city staff has said. The fee increase approved by the council will pay for 1.5 miles. The staff's proposal would have paid for 1.8 miles.
At the city's current growth rate, it takes nearly six miles of new arterial roads per year to serve new developments, staff members estimate.
The increase takes effect April 1, with developments that are already platted grandfathered in for two years at the current fees. The council also increased the discount for new development done in areas with adequate existing infrastructure. East sector fees remain the same.
- Scott Nishimura, Star-Telegram Fort Worth City Hall reporter
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