Findlay Township committee asks staff to model $2,000 impact fee after traffic and land-use review

The Findlay Township Impact Fee Advisory Committee on Aug. 26 reviewed traffic incident data and transportation planning materials and directed staff to analyze raising the township’s impact fee to $2,000, update the targeted service area (TSA) land-use map, and prepare a prioritized list of capital improvements for its next meeting.

Assistant Manager and Planning Administrator Brandon Stanick presented a map showing developed and undeveloped parcels inside and outside the current TSA and flagged Comprehensive Plan priority numbers on the map. Lieutenant Neil Cridge then presented incident counts for several locations, reporting: "Hookstown Grade Road & Flaugherty Run Roads 52 incidents; Spring Run Road & Flaugherty Run Road 62 incidents; Clinton and Washington Roads 148 incidents; Moody Road 30 incidents; Potato Garden Run Road 30 incidents." Cridge added that "there is more and more traffic westbound on Route 30 at the Clinton Road light to get to new developments and most incidents were driver error."

Darren Myer of HRG summarized the Transportation Improvement Plan and said it is governed by the MPC, noting the plan identifies needed capacity improvements and that the township should assess whether to continue with the current transportation plan or amend the land-use and roadway analyses. Myer said some projects could be reprioritized under new data and that "the impact fee could be raised to capture market prices and inflation."

Committee members noted that trip counts are down in some larger business parks, a trend that may reduce projected impact-fee revenue. Members also debated the cost of updating the sufficiency and land-use analyses versus the potential additional revenue from such updates and discussed the implications of creating multiple districts, observing that more districts could dilute funds available for individual projects.

After discussion, the committee requested staff to: conduct an analysis using an impact fee of $2,000; perform a preliminary land-use analysis that removes properties already developed in the TSA and includes the properties discussed during the meeting; and establish a priority list of capital improvements for committee review. Those directions were recorded but no formal ordinance or fee change was adopted at the meeting.

The committee approved the minutes of the May 27, 2025 meeting by unanimous voice vote and adjourned at 9:30 p.m.