Nassau County workshop probes large proposed mobility and impact-fee hikes; public objects

NASSAU COUNTY, Fla. — Nassau County staff presented proposed revisions to the county’s mobility and comprehensive impact-fee schedules at a Nov. 10 workshop, telling commissioners that inflation, higher right-of-way and construction costs and projected population increases justify exceeding the statutory 50% cap in some categories. No vote was taken; the board scheduled a follow-up workshop and public hearing on Dec. 8.

Robert Campanion, deputy county manager and county engineer, outlined the mobility plan update — adopted originally in 2014 and amended in 2021 — and said the plan’s guiding principle remains that "new growth should pay for itself" rather than shifting costs to existing taxpayers. He described a network of projects and the fee formula (cost per vehicle-mile traveled multiplied by projected trips and average trip length) that produces a per-home mobility fee.

Julie Herlands, the consultant presenting the remainder of the comprehensive impact-fee study, told the board the proposed schedule covers parks and recreation, fire rescue, law enforcement and administrative facilities and is scaled by unit size for residential categories. "Florida impact-fee law requires evidence of extraordinary circumstances to raise fees in excess of that 50% cap," Herlands said, and the study documents higher construction indices and population projections that, at proposed rates, would yield about $32 million in revenue over the plan horizon compared with roughly $18.3 million if rates are capped at the statutory limit.

Staff described the mobility program’s project list, saying originally 46 projects totaled just under $500 million but were reduced to about 33 cost-feasible projects totaling roughly $350 million after discounts. They said the county’s historical annual contribution to capacity projects is about $5.5 million (about $110 million over the planning horizon), which the consultants used as a credit when calculating fees.

Under staff calculations, a single-family detached home’s proposed mobility fee would be roughly $11,332 in the east zone and $11,996 in the west zone; staff said current mobility fees are about $3,989 (east) and $4,300 (west). Staff cited a roughly 66% increase in construction costs since the prior study and said those increases and rising acquisition costs are the extraordinary circumstances prompting the workshops.

Speakers from the building industry, affordable-housing advocates and residents pushed back. "These proposed fee increases before you are over 200% increases, well beyond that inflationary factor," said Austin Nicholas of the Northeast Florida Builders Association, who also asked for more review time because consultants’ packet versions were received by stakeholders in late October. Tom Champion, a local resident and builder, told the board recreation-impact fees per acre jumped from about $39,000 in 2020 to $205,000 in the 2025 calculations, calling that a "520% increase." Elizabeth Buchanan, a resident and industry professional, said the study uses a $1.4 million-per-acre waterfront valuation that she said represents 77% of the calculated parks fee and argued that most county acquisitions will be river- or marsh-front land worth far less.

Octavia Carr, speaking for Habitat for Humanity and NEFA, raised process concerns and highlighted a discrepancy in population figures used by different county studies (one transmittal showing about 116,000 residents in 2030, the extraordinary-needs memo using roughly 129,000). Carr also cited Section 163.31801 of Florida law on impact-fee limits and phase-in requirements in arguing that any increase above statutory caps requires careful justification and public notice.

Staff and consultants said they had met with development stakeholders, made adjustments in the Nov. 6 draft and would provide supporting detail; staff also said the proposed administrative fee would be adjusted downward to a percentage-based charge (about 1.5%) rather than a flat $163 per home. County staff emphasized that the mobility fees are charged at building permit for new development and are not assessed on existing homes.

Several commissioners said they needed more time to review the materials and would hold staff meetings; one commissioner said she was not prepared to make a decision at this workshop. The board agreed to continue the discussion at the Dec. 8 meeting, which will include a second workshop and a public hearing on any extraordinary-circumstances determinations. The workshop adjourned without a vote.