Mayfield holds public hearing on impact fee study for parks and roads; public questions parks funding and lot sale

Mayfield held a public hearing Sept. 10 on an impact-fee study that would establish how the town charges new development for the costs of roads and parks.

The hearing, part of the Town Council—s regular meeting, reviewed an engineering-style impact fee analysis and an Impact Fees Facilities Plan (IFFP). Town staff said the study was fully funded by a grant and intended to bring Mayfield into compliance with state requirements that strictly limit how impact-fee revenue may be used.

The study shows current permit-time impact fees of $1,000 for roads and $800 for parks, town staff said. Speakers and council members described impact fees as a one-time charge assessed when a new building permit is issued; they emphasized fees apply to new construction and are not retroactive. A staff explanation in the hearing noted that impact-fee funds cannot be used for routine maintenance and must be tied to measurable growth-related capital improvements, per applicable state guidance.

Public commenters raised questions about a partially developed park parcel associated with a local estate. Residents said the town—s earlier agreement with Mayfield Estate property owners called for a park roughly described in the meeting as between 1 and 1.5 acres; meeting speakers gave conflicting accounts of the original wording, with at least one person saying the original agreement specified a 1-acre park. Speakers debated whether part of that parcel could be sold to generate funds to finish park improvements; council members cautioned that any sale would be constrained by the original agreement and potential litigation claimed by neighbors.

Residents and council members discussed other funding options. The town currently spends about $10,000 a year on park maintenance, several speakers said. Council members and residents also discussed using accumulated impact-fee revenue to increase competitiveness for outside grants, citing the federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program as an example. The staff presentation referenced a recent example in a neighboring town where a local match helped secure federal funds.

Speakers noted the town issues only a small number of building permits annually (participants estimated roughly five to six new home permits per year recently), and one comment observed that, at that pace, impact-fee revenue would accumulate slowly.

During the hearing a council member reiterated legal requirements for public process: the study and the public hearing are required steps, but no fee adoption occurs at the hearing. The council may later enact actual fee amounts after additional council discussion. A council motion to close the public hearing was made, seconded and approved by voice vote; individual roll-call votes were not recorded in the meeting transcript.

The council moved on to its regular meeting agenda after closing the public hearing. If the council elects to set new fees, staff said the town would publish them and follow state-prescribed procedures for the use and reporting of impact-fee funds.