Here’s the new date for when Indian Land home costs are likely to increase — again
The cost of a new home or apartment will go up this fall in Indian Land. Come 2022, it’s likely to increase again.
Lancaster County Council added a Jan. 1, 2022 effective date Monday night to new school impact fees. Council also unanimously passed the second of three readings needed to adopt the fees. The final decision is tentatively set for Sept. 13.
The new school impact fee would be a charge on new construction. A study commissioned for the county and county school district found the impact fees could charge up to $8,202 for a new home and $8,701 per new apartment. Those costs would be charged on projects in (and pay growth costs for) the panhandle area that serves Indian Land high, intermediate and elementary schools, plus Harrisburg and Van Wyck elementary schools.
The school impact fees would be similar to those already set up in the Fort Mill, Clover and other school districts. Fees would be charged only on residential construction.
The latest fee decision Monday night comes as other fees approach. In July county council approved new impact fees to pay for sheriff’s office, fire, recreation and EMS needs. Those fees begin Oct. 1. Like the school fees, the municipal service fees target the Indian Land panhandle. They do reach farther south toward Lancaster than the school fees.
Fee amounts vary, with the highest costs on the northern end where substantial growth continues. A new home in Indian Land comes with a more than $1,900 fee across the municipal categories. Those fees also apply to non-residential construction. They vary considerably by retail, industrial, commercial or other uses.
Impact fees have been at some stage of discussion among county leaders for nearly a decade. Indian Land growth in recent years puts it at more than 40,000 residents. The unincorporated area makes up more than 40% of the entire Lancaster County population.
Impact fees will be charged when developers pull construction permits. The resident of a new home or tenant of a newly constructed business thus wouldn’t see the cost directly, though it can factor in to the final sales price from the builder or developer.
This story was originally published August 25, 2021 at 8:24 AM.
