Prince William supervisors to discuss transportation impact fees

By Cheryl Chumley

Published: July 20, 2008

Now is not the time for Prince William to implement a transportation impact fee program, said county executive Craig Gerhart, at a Friday morning press briefing.

That’s because assessment of the impact fees would come at the building permit stage, at a time when building — nationwide, as well as locally — is on the downswing.
“It’s really a Catch-22,” he said. “You have to build a lot to get the fees but to get the fees you have to build a lot.”

Basing revenues for transportation improvements on a system that relies on hefty construction, in the face of this lagging construction economy and a county development plan that, in fact, calls for slower growth, is not only shaky fiscal policy, but also contradictory planning, Gerhart said.

As such, he is recommending supervisors at Tuesday’s 2 p.m. meeting at the McCoart Administrative Building put off the idea of transportation impact fees, in line with the recent actions of Spotsylvania and Chesterfield counties.

In other matters Tuesday, supervisors will continue discussions on the county’s strategic plans, which emphasize transportation, education and public safety, as well as hold public hearings on code changes that guide the removal of graffiti and trash from privately owned properties.

Also set for discussion: a resolution that would allow supervisors to use existing “discretionary” office dollars to hire additional staff; a transfer of the Dispute Resolution Program from the jurisdiction of the clerk to Circuit Court to the Juvenile Court Service Unit; and a handful of special use and rezoning hearings at the 7:30 p.m. session.