Summerville commission approves revised impact fee study and CIP, forwards to council

The Town of Summerville Planning Commission voted May 18 to approve an updated development impact fee study, the town’s capital improvements plan (CIP) and a revised impact fee ordinance and to forward the package to town council.

The action followed a staff presentation explaining the cost assumptions used in the study. Staff said three recent regional parks facilities averaged about $624 per square foot, supporting a $630-per-square-foot assumption used in park-related fee calculations, and noted an example trail project had an estimated cost near $2,000,000 per mile rather than $1,000,000. Staff also said nine staff comments on the draft had been addressed and that a traffic impact analysis (TIA) for other projects had been submitted to DOT and was pending review.

Commissioners discussed potential impacts on commercial development. One commissioner said higher fees could make it harder to attract commercial projects, noting a recent local office built at roughly $310 per square foot and expressing concern that some proposed fees would be ‘‘tripling from what we have now.’’ Staff responded that some fees would drop, many fees are in line with regional expectations, and emphasized the need to adopt fees before the town’s budget is finalized so revenue assumptions tied to impact fees are set prior to the May 26 budget deadline.

After discussion, the Chair moved to approve the impact fee study, the CIP and the revised impact fee ordinance and to send them to town council. The Commission voted in favor and the motion passed.