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Advisory panel to study raising parks impact fees after staff warns facilities lag behind
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Summary
City parks staff told the Parks and Recreation advisory group the current $975 impact fee is insufficient to meet service standards; staff will present comparative benchmarks and a recommendation in April and, if supported, the city would hold two public hearings before any increase.
Blankenship, a city parks staff member, told the Parks and Recreation advisory committee that the city’s current parks impact fee of $975 falls short of what is needed to maintain expected service levels.
"Presently, our impact fee is $975 and that includes 300 and something dollars for land acquisition," Blankenship said, noting the fee has not kept pace with demand and the city is undersupplied in facilities such as ballfields and courts.
Committee members were given context for how impact fees are used and how the city compares to statewide standards. Blankenship cited the Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP) standard of one baseball/softball field per 3,000 residents and pointed out the city’s shortfall: with roughly 28,000 residents, the committee has only about five baseball/softball fields.
Blankenship said staff will prepare a full synopsis for the April meeting that compares fees charged by similarly sized Florida municipalities and includes recommended fee adjustments and a breakdown of what the fee covers. He described the likely process if the committee supports a change: the city council must hold two public hearings before adopting any new fee schedule.
The presentation also reviewed how the city has used impact-fee revenue in recent years: staff budgeted roughly $80,000 annually from impact fees for playground replacement and a smaller allocation for miscellaneous improvements, leaving a limited fund balance for major new park construction.
Committee members asked whether impact fees apply to developments that have already completed planning and zoning. Blankenship clarified that impact fees are collected at the time a building permit is issued, so fees would apply to developments that do not yet have permits.
Next steps: staff will deliver a detailed recommendation and comparative analysis at the April meeting; any proposed fee changes would move to council with two public hearings required before adoption.
