Commissioners press consultant timeline for Lancaster County impact-fee study as moratorium nears

Lancaster County commissioners used the June 16 meeting to press planning staff about timing for an impact-fee study that will inform development fees and the Unified Development Ordinance rewrite.

Staff said the county engaged Tischler Bise (referred to in the packet and kickoff meeting) and that the contract began in March 2026 with an apparent period extending to March 2027. Commissioners repeatedly asked whether the consultant can provide a firm delivery schedule because an existing growth moratorium timeline could affect developers and whether the county will have impact fees and an implementing ordinance in time to apply them when the moratorium lifts.

Commissioners voiced concern that data collection had not yet begun at the June meeting and requested that staff seek a clearer timeline from the consultant. Staff noted interim tools available to the county—such as development agreements used previously to hold developers to negotiated fees—and said the ordinance required to collect impact fees would follow the study. One staff member said the earlier impact-fee project took about a year to produce reports and a few months to adopt the ordinance; staff estimated the current update would likely take less time due to existing baseline data but made no guarantee of meeting the moratorium deadline.

The commission asked staff to follow up with the consultant and provide a projected timeline and clarified that the Planning Commission will expect a briefing on methodology and schedule in coming meetings.