Florence Reminder Blade-Tribune
Florence and other Arizona municipalities are facing new restrictions on their ability to collect and spend impact fees charged to new development.
Impact fees are one-time, up-front charges intended to make new developments pay a fair share of the community’s costs of expanding services to them. Arizona’s SB 1525, which was signed by the governor two years ago, constitutes “a major overhaul” of the law allowing impact fees, according to a town consultant.
The law no longer allows fees for general government facilities; sanitation facilities; libraries larger than 10,000 square feet, library books or equipment; parks larger than 30 acres; or community centers larger than 3,000 square feet.
The town council held a public hearing Monday on the town’s “2013-2023 Land Use Assumptions, Infrastructure Improvement Plan and Impact Fee Study.” This study, written by Duncan Associates of Austin, Texas, is intended to update the town’s impact fees for parks, libraries, firefighting, police, water and wastewater facilities in accordance with state law.
A resolution to adopt the study will come before the town council on July 1. The draft document is on file at the town clerk’s office and is also available online. On the town website (www.florenceaz.gov) Home page, under Quick Links, click on Public Notices. Then click on Florence Development Impact Fee Final Study.
