Cost Council mulls cost of growth
Lancaster may enact fire impact fee
By TAMARIA L. KULEMEKA
The Eagle-Gazette Staff
tkulemeka@nncogannett.com
LANCASTER - A fee that officials believe will help bring fire services to rapidly growing areas in the city will go through its last hurdle before final approval tonight.
The fire impact fee is expected to generate $600,000 annually. Officials have said the money is necessary to purchase fire equipment and build and relocate fire stations to new development areas.
In an April interview with the Eagle-Gazette, Service-Safety Director Lindy Jackson said ''as the city grows, so does the burden of providing fire and EMS services to those areas.''
Jackson also said new residents should help shoulder that burden.
Lancaster is located in the third fastest growing county in the state.
According to census data, the city's population grew 2.2 percent between 1990 and 2000.
Council has been working on the fire impact fee for the past nine months.
The proposed legislation has not been received well by some developers and building industry representatives.
Last week, the city had a public forum to gather input from developers. The Law Committee also met to discuss the developers concerns and some of their input will be used to revise the original proposal.
Developers are most concerned about the proposed amount of the impact fee and when collection on the fee should begin. The proposed legislation has the collection beginning as soon as the fee is passed, but developers argue that more time is needed.
The proposed changes council will consider today include a fee scale that would phase in the cost over the next several months and exempt building projects that are awaiting grants, and homes and condos under contract on or before May 31, from paying the impact fee.
Councilman Tom Stoughton, R-Fourth Ward and Law Committee chairman, said he will ask Kellam Associates, the firm that conducted the fire impact fee study, to go back over the study and make sure that the cost figures are adequate.
Based on some figures given by two developers, the study's figures seem to be out of proportion, Stoughton said.
''We want to make sure the amounts in the ordinance are in line with what reality is,'' Stoughton said. ''We're going to ask Kellam to take another look at their study again and go over it with a fine tooth come to make sure their costs are appropriate.''
The Law Committee also agreed to form a committee with some of the developers, who can sit down with Kellam and review the process afterwards.
Stoughton expects that process to be completed in 30 to 60 days.
''We've addressed most of the issues with the exception of the amount,'' he said. ''We always have the ability after we review what's in the study to ultimately make changes that could reduce the impact fee. We're not collecting the full fee so this will give us a chance to modify it when it gets to the end. I think we're addressing all the issues on all fronts.''
Leonard Gorsuch, president and chief executive officer of Gorsuch Enterprises, one of the largest local developers, said he doesn't believe council should pass the impact fee until they have all the kinks worked out. Gorsuch attended the forum Wednesday, and the Law Committee meeting on Thursday.
''They're determined they're going to pass it. Do I think it's fair? No,'' Gorsuch said. ''They're not really reducing the fee. The fee is still outrageous even with the phase-in.''
The only good thing that came out of Thursday's meeting is the city's willingness to take another look at the study, Gorsuch said.
''If they get the numbers lowered in the study, the nexus is we get a lower fee,'' he said. ''At least if we create an ad-hoc committee to look at it, that's a start.''
Originally published May 23, 2005
Lancaster may enact fire impact fee
By TAMARIA L. KULEMEKA
The Eagle-Gazette Staff
tkulemeka@nncogannett.com
LANCASTER - A fee that officials believe will help bring fire services to rapidly growing areas in the city will go through its last hurdle before final approval tonight.
The fire impact fee is expected to generate $600,000 annually. Officials have said the money is necessary to purchase fire equipment and build and relocate fire stations to new development areas.
In an April interview with the Eagle-Gazette, Service-Safety Director Lindy Jackson said ''as the city grows, so does the burden of providing fire and EMS services to those areas.''
Jackson also said new residents should help shoulder that burden.
Lancaster is located in the third fastest growing county in the state.
According to census data, the city's population grew 2.2 percent between 1990 and 2000.
Council has been working on the fire impact fee for the past nine months.
The proposed legislation has not been received well by some developers and building industry representatives.
Last week, the city had a public forum to gather input from developers. The Law Committee also met to discuss the developers concerns and some of their input will be used to revise the original proposal.
Developers are most concerned about the proposed amount of the impact fee and when collection on the fee should begin. The proposed legislation has the collection beginning as soon as the fee is passed, but developers argue that more time is needed.
The proposed changes council will consider today include a fee scale that would phase in the cost over the next several months and exempt building projects that are awaiting grants, and homes and condos under contract on or before May 31, from paying the impact fee.
Councilman Tom Stoughton, R-Fourth Ward and Law Committee chairman, said he will ask Kellam Associates, the firm that conducted the fire impact fee study, to go back over the study and make sure that the cost figures are adequate.
Based on some figures given by two developers, the study's figures seem to be out of proportion, Stoughton said.
''We want to make sure the amounts in the ordinance are in line with what reality is,'' Stoughton said. ''We're going to ask Kellam to take another look at their study again and go over it with a fine tooth come to make sure their costs are appropriate.''
The Law Committee also agreed to form a committee with some of the developers, who can sit down with Kellam and review the process afterwards.
Stoughton expects that process to be completed in 30 to 60 days.
''We've addressed most of the issues with the exception of the amount,'' he said. ''We always have the ability after we review what's in the study to ultimately make changes that could reduce the impact fee. We're not collecting the full fee so this will give us a chance to modify it when it gets to the end. I think we're addressing all the issues on all fronts.''
Leonard Gorsuch, president and chief executive officer of Gorsuch Enterprises, one of the largest local developers, said he doesn't believe council should pass the impact fee until they have all the kinks worked out. Gorsuch attended the forum Wednesday, and the Law Committee meeting on Thursday.
''They're determined they're going to pass it. Do I think it's fair? No,'' Gorsuch said. ''They're not really reducing the fee. The fee is still outrageous even with the phase-in.''
The only good thing that came out of Thursday's meeting is the city's willingness to take another look at the study, Gorsuch said.
''If they get the numbers lowered in the study, the nexus is we get a lower fee,'' he said. ''At least if we create an ad-hoc committee to look at it, that's a start.''
Originally published May 23, 2005
