Hendersonville aldermen split over development impact fees; residential plan advances after amendment

After more than two hours of discussion at the Hendersonville Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting on Jan. 13, the body voted down a first-reading ordinance that would have charged both commercial and residential developments impact fees, then approved a separate residential-focused ordinance on first reading after an amendment that reduced single-family fees.

The discussion began when staff summarized three draft ordinances derived from a Tishler Bice impact-fee study: a combined commercial-and-residential option, a residential-only option with a changing fee schedule, and a standalone credits ordinance allowing developers to receive credit by performing approved off-site or on-site work. City staff said the combined version would cap charges at 50% of the study’s statutory maximum. Staff estimated the gross annual fee potential for the combined option at roughly $424,000 from commercial and $1.4 million from residential permits but cautioned that vesting,…