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Prince George’s County will consider using impact fees to discourage sprawl and encourage more apartments near Metro stations.
At a recent briefing on long-term goals, planners with the county and the Maryland-National Capital Parks and Planning Commission said they will be looking into raising fees on developers when they build farther out in the county and lowering them in areas around transit stations.
That could have a huge impact on the Route 1 corridor, as it would supercharge already strong growth around the West Hyattsville and Hyattsville Crossing Metro stations as well as future Purple Line stations in Riverdale Park and College Park.
According to WTOP, Derick Berlage with the MNCPPC said at the meeting that the shift in impact fees would ensure that builders are helping offset the costs of things like new roads, water and sewer lines needed for sprawling new developments.
“We think there should be a conversation about that, to make sure that development, especially development outside the Beltway is actually paying its appropriate share,” he said.
Any change in impact fees would require county officials to approve it and possibly the state legislature as well.
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I really hope that complexes leave room for community space instead of just packing in as many apartments as they can.
I’d hope that the impact fees (not just outside the Beltway) include new or expanded school buildings. When developers built the Greenbelt Station neighborhood, it was zoned to Berwyn Heights Elementary, which was already full (e.g. the 6th grade was there in temporary buildings, instead of at Greenbelt Middle).