On Monday the Fort Myers Beach Town Council approved a contract with Axis Infrastructure to produce an impact fee study.There are a minimum of 9 big developments either in front of or will be coming in front of the LPA in the coming months. The Town Council would like to have an impact fee schedule on the books in order to pull in the needed income to harden the town’s infrastructure if any of these projects get approved.
The study will take 7 to 12 months and cost $85,000. The Town Council would like the study done closer to 7 months with all the development projects starting to come in for permits.
The scope of work would include two public presentations to elected officials (one work session and one public meeting for action to implement the impact fees). Tasks would include: collecting data, projecting future development, update infrastructure standards, identify capital improvements needed to accommodate growth, calculate and prepare an impact fee schedule,
Public hearings would have to be held if this process does move forward. If the Town Council does decide to pass a new impact fee ordinance, and a new development is already permitted and underway, the town cannot retroactively charge that property owner any impact fees, according to the Town Attorney.
The Council voted to maintain the Comprehensive Plan. yet they continue to approve projects that violate density, height, and parking rules. Let’s make sure the Impact Fee schedule reflects the TRUE IMPACT of outsize developments, and doesn’t penalize homeowners building on existing lots.
Is an impact fee like a sliding application fee? Do we really need an “impact study” to tell us parking, traffic, and density are our problems? If parking and traffic are not fixed, Estero will become one big parking lot and we will all need to rent golf carts to drive down middle of street or (Oh No!) on the sidewalks.
Doesn’t the current code basically say rebuilds are “one for one” relating to density? If the TC sticks to this, density and traffic would be minimally increased from pre-Ian numbers. The only reason there would be major increases is if the projects asking for above code increases were approved. No more density, no more parking, no infrastructure issues.
“Already a minimum of 9 big developments already in front of or coming up which the town cannot retroactively charge the homeowners an impact fee”.
Because I believe the council reads these comments I am asking them…
1. If up to 9 big developments won’t be charged a fee, how many more big developments are you foreseeing to charge a fee just to make up for the $85000 taxpayers money you just spent?
2. With traffic and parking being a large problem, why do you believe adding a greater density and “doubling up a parking space” is going to alleviate ANY existing congestion problems?
3. When I have family and friends over for a party, can I double up in your driveway?
They must be afraid to answer the questions and hope this article will go away very soon