Flower Mound Narrowly Approves Massive Impact Fee Increase
Some members of the Flower Mound Town Council on March 1 approved egregious increases to roadway impact fees for residential development. Even though the approved increases faced opposition by not only the Dallas Builders Association, but also members of the Town Council, the measure passed on a 3 to 2 vote.
Even with water and wastewater fees seeing a decrease, they are far outweighed by the increase in roadway impact fees. For plats filed before March 1, the roadway fee assessed per home in Service Area A was $1,424.10 and $3,714.78 in Service Areas B and C.
The new roadway fees for plats filed on or after March 1 are:
Service Area A = $3,040.95 per home.
Service Area B = $17,974.10 per home.
Service Area C = $15,975.90 per home.
The huge increase is in part due to the council approving the fees at 100% of the maximum allowed.
Speaking in opposition to the fees presented, Dallas BA offered that it does not agree with certain item cost projections listed in the town’s capitol improvements plan and is also worried that the rate unfairly puts a burden on residential development. Dallas BA warned that the resulting increase in cost per home would be paid for by Flower Mound home buyers, made up of both existing and new Flower Mound residents. Dallas BA raised concerns that young Flower Mound families could be priced out of the new home market.
Joining Dallas BA in concerns over the negative impact such high fees could have on the local economy were council members Ben Bumgarner and Jim Engel, as well as Mayor Steve Dixon. Bumgarner and Engel voted in opposition to the significant increase. Dixon, as Mayor, does not have a vote on such issues, but was able to secure agreement that the town should follow up with a work session on the issue so the Town Council can have a clear understanding of what the fee increases really mean to the community.
Dallas BA will continue to monitor the impact of the ordinance.