Residents and developers looking to break ground within the Fort Mill School District should brace themselves for a significant uptick in costs. The Fort Mill County Council has green-lit an ordinance to hike impact fees on new residential development projects to $29,640 per single-family home and $20,796 for each multifamily unit, including townhouses. The move, which was passed on Monday, targets construction within the Town of Fort Mill/Tega Cay and parts of unincorporated York County that fall under the FSD boundary. According to the York County's announcement, this fee will go into effect as soon as a building permit is issued starting on Tuesday.
In terms of timing, it's essential for developers to note that the new ordinance does not have a retroactive effect. Permit applications snugly filed on Monday will dodge the new fees. The same clemency extends to approved permits where payments have been made but not yet collected by the applicant. "Building permits expire after six months of inactivity. Permit holders should diligently pursue permit renewal to avoid paying the difference in the impact fee amounts," warned the York County in a recent policy memorandum.
This fee increase is not without precise guidance for transitional cases. In a bid for clarity, the council clarifies that any permit application arriving after the cutoff at April 7th's end is subject to the new charges. Conversely, partially reviewed applications submitted before this date will hold on to the old fee. For the fence-sitters with applications in by the deadline but approvals still hanging in the balance, fear not: they also escape the fee surge.
Official statements emphasize the aim to uphold a clear and consistent process through this shift. "In order to provide consistency and direction during the transition period, this policy memorandum is to clarify how to handle permit applications that are 'in the pipeline' before April 8, 2025," stated the Fort Mill authorities, as per the York County's announcement.
