York County wants to decide new home fees for schools. Here’s when it could happen.
York County Council wants something it can vote on for Clover schools.
On Monday night, council approved a resolution directing the county planning commission to bring back an impact fee ordinance “as soon as practicable.” The resolution comes after the the commission stalled on a recommendation decision May 11. It also comes just days ahead of the next commission meeting June 8.
On Tuesday morning, the county published an agenda for that June 8 planning commission meeting. It includes the Clover school item.
Clover School District administrative staff, including superintendent Sheila Quinn, presented their case at the May commission meeting for new development impact fees. Impact fees are a charge on new construction used to pay for growth costs, in this case new or converted schools. Clover fees would be similar to ones already in place, and approved by the county, for Fort Mill schools.
The same case made by Clover district officials in May appears in the resolution approved by council on Monday. It notes recent and ongoing rapid population growth that will continue due to approved yet unbuilt residential projects. It states direct county infrastructure impacts due to that growth, and significant land and construction costs for schools.
It also notes the need for a new elementary school, new high school and conversion of the district’s ninth-grade academy to a middle school stated by district officials.
“The county finds that it is fair and equitable for new residential development in the Clover School District to fund new public education facilities, in part, through a proportionate share public education impact fee,” reads the ordinance.
The planning commission nearly sent a fee recommendation on to council last month. Several members expressed concern with proposed fees of more than $15,000 per home, $7,400 per apartment and $9,800 per mobile home. Affordability of new homes in the Clover area gave commissioners pause. Growth on the Lake Wylie end of the district, Quinn told the group, is about three times what it is on the Clover end.
Quinn asked the commission to put a recommendation in front of council to allow district leaders time to address whatever concerns members had. The quicker council can decide, the quicker the district can plan its course from bond referenda to other capital options.
“We can’t build a school overnight,” Quinn said. “It takes three years to get an elementary school. For something like a high school it’s a four-year time period.”
The planning commission votes against a fee recommendation in May related to housing affordability, not the litigation that followed a county increase for Fort Mill schools in 2018. State and area homebuilders filed suit against the state and county claiming impact fees were arbitrary and hurt business. Two judge decisions thus far sided with the county and school district.
Attorney Dan Ballou told the planning commission in May he worked with both the Clover and Fort Mill districts on their respective fee rules for county approval, and he is confident the Clover fees are well-supported.
“We have likewise been watching that (Fort Mill legal case) very carefully over the past months,” he said. “We have drafted this ordinance to be as close to that language as possible.”
Lancaster County, Chester County schools and other groups have recent or ongoing efforts to add impact fees. Rock Hill, Fort Mill and Tega Cay already have them at the municipal level.
The resolution passed Monday night directs the planning commission to send something as soon as possible, or in three months at the latest. The resolution directs the county manager and other planning staff to serve as liaison between the commission and council.
Council wouldn’t be bound by the fee amount recommended by the planning commission. When the Fort Mill fees passed, the planning commission recommended fees at much lower amounts than what council then ultimately approved. Recollection of that case two years ago nearly got the needed recommendation from the planning commission in May, as members noted they could state objections but council would set the final figures regardless what they suggest.
“If we send them something,” said planning commission member James Darby, “they can do what they want with it.”
Quinn told the planning commission impact fees are only part of the solution for raising capital needed to cover new school costs. But, she said, it is an important revenue stream and helps existing residents who without it would have to pay all the costs through school bonds and taxes.
“Everybody is going to pay it in the bond referendum, including our businesses,” Quinn said. “This is really the best relief.”
