1. POLICY BRIEF:
DEVELOPMENT IMPACT FEES
Around the Region:
Roswell
Total Fee: $3,200 (res.); $3,000 (comm.)
Cherokee County
Total Fee: $1,142 (res.); approx. $2,000 (comm.)
Forsyth County
Total Fee: $3,641 (res.); $532 (comm.)
Woodstock
Total Fee: $1,510 (res., no commercial fee)
Peachtree City
Total Fee: $2,600 (res.); $530 - $2,300 (comm.)
Atlanta
Total Fee: $1,544 (res.); approx. $1,300 (comm.)
Communities with no impact fee program:
• City of Johns Creek
• City of Dunwoody
• City of Suwanee
• City of Smyrna
• Cobb County
• Gwinnett County
• DeKalb County
Things to Consider:
Is there a current long range comprehensive plan
explicitly listing transportation and green
infrastructure needs and associated costs?
Are there existing Infrastructure deficits,that cannot
be funded through impact fees? How will those be
funded?
Have all available funding sources for new
infrastructure been considered and included in the
fee calculation?
Once capital improvements are constructed using
impact fees, are there dedicated funding sources
for operation and maintenance costs?
Is there staff in place to administer the impact fee
program and maintain fiscal acountability for
proper, timely expenditure of the fees?
Do the impact fee service areas appropriately align
infrastructure improvements with the location of
new growth and development?
What is the cost burden of the impact fee program?
How will this impact availability of workforce
housing in the community?
What is the impact on economic development? Will
impact fees serve to divert quality development to
neighboring jurisdictions? At what level do
neighboring jurisdictions collect impact fees?
How will property owners’ planned development
projects be vested? The Council recommends
vesting all projects that have applied for Land
Disturbance Permit, Preliminary Plat or Zoning
Application for a period of 18 months.
Impact Fees can be an effective tool for local governments to fund the expansion of government services as
a community grows. In conjunction with a robust planning process and sound capital improvements plan, impact
fees can fund infrastructure improvements including road capacity expansions, construction of new parks, and
public safety needs to accommodate needs that are directly associated with new residents. Impact fees will only
supplement the standard means of finance for capital improvements such as SPLOST, State funding from HB-170,
local bonds, property taxes and federal grants. Impact fees cannot and should not be considered a panacea for
funding general capital improvements, nor should they be used as a mechanism to slow or stop growth.
The Council for Quality Growth works with
communities across the region to ensure that impact
fee programs are applied in a balanced way that does
not create a negative impact on the community’s
long-term economic viability and competitiveness.