Committee debates transportation impact fees; seeks more analysis before acting

Brian McGinnis opened discussion on impact fees for land development, a topic he raised at a prior meeting. He told the committee he had reviewed how other Chester County municipalities impose impact fees and said putting a fee program in place would likely require a detailed study and PennDOT-standard transportation improvement plan.

A staff presenter explained that a transportation impact fee requires estimating the number of new vehicle trips generated by development, specifying a transportation improvement plan to accommodate those trips and allocating the cost of improvements across expected growth. The presenter cautioned that, in a built-out borough such as West Chester, improvements would likely focus on streetscape work, intersection and signal improvements rather than widening roads or new highway exchanges. "I have some questions about how that works in a municipality like Westchester that is built out," a staff member said, and asked for another month to consider the cost-benefit and what a plan would look like.

Committee members discussed whether pursuing grants for streetscape projects has been a more effective revenue source than charging developers through impact fees. One member said grant-funded projects had performed well for the borough and recommended continuing to pursue grants rather than establishing an impact-fee program at this time.

Ending: The committee agreed to postpone action and asked staff to return with a cost estimate and proposed scope for a study so members could assess the cost-benefit of adopting transportation impact fees in West Chester.