As new subdivisions pop up and plans for apartments are developed, some community members believe impact fees should be enforced to better keep up with county growth.
The Georgia Department of Community Affairs explains that impact fees are one-time charges imposed on new developments by local governments, to help fund the cost of public services and infrastructure needed to account for more people.
Gilmer Planning and Zoning Director Jim Smith spoke to a group of about 10 residents at a Citizens Forum meeting Saturday, May 17, at the American Legion. There, people asked why the fees aren’t already in place.
Due to a moratorium that’s been in place for years in Gilmer County, taxpayers are not required to maintain the roads or public water and sewer of a subdivision development. Those costs are usually funded through HOA dues, Smith explained.
“These subdivisions affect everything outside the subdivision, so why is the county so against impact fees?” Gilmer resident Peggy Bramlett asked.
The Board of Commissioners is currently working with a consultant to conduct studies on what levying impact fees could mean for Gilmer, Smith said, agreeing with Bramlett that they are needed.
“Commissioners have hired a consultant because you’ve got a very distinct procedure and state laws, before you impose those impact fees, that you have to meet,” he said.
To his knowledge, this is the first commission to work on an impact fee solution. If put in place, they would be required for all new developments, even rental apartments.
“Is there a way to slow down all this growth until we can get some infrastructure to help, because it seems like our growth has gotten ahead of what we have available,” Bramlett proposed.
Smith said that laws are laws, and they’re bound by local and state ordinances in place when it comes to approving or denying new builds. Local governments are always having to play catch-up to new growth, he added.
“I’m a small-town guy, but we live in a democracy, and you can’t put gates at the county line,” Smith said. “Most of us are transplants from somewhere else.”
As questions rolled in pertaining to how new developments are approved by county officials, Smith noted a rigorous process is in place before construction can begin, where it’s required for various entities to check off whether it’s feasible for the area or not. That includes planning and zoning, the school system, electric companies and more.
With recent zoning amendments allowing for higher-density apartment complexes, people at the forum expressed concerns over what this means for new growth.
“If someone comes to us to apply for a zoning change, the first thing we do is go to the Regional Commission, we consult with them, and they say if it meets our [Joint] Comprehensive Plan or it doesn’t,” Smith explained. “That’s how we do it, and it’s done very religiously every time.”
The Gilmer County Joint Comprehensive Plan is a living document, updated every five years and reviewed yearly, to guide future development for the county and cities of Ellijay and East Ellijay.
Anyone interested in reviewing the plans for growth, zoning maps and what stakeholders helped decide citizens need going forward, can find the full document online.
Smith reminded attendees that licensing and zoning records are open to the public as well and can always be found at his office. The website qPublic.net is also where residents can search what any parcel of land is zoned for in the county.
Environmental Protection Agency Attorney David Moore will be discussing environmental issues that impact Gilmer at the next Citizens Forum Saturday, June 21. It will start at 9 a.m. at the American Legion, located at 297 Legion Road in Ellijay. As always, it’s open to the public.