Virginia Code 15.2-2323: When impact fees assessed and imposed
The amount of impact fees to be imposed on a specific development or subdivision shall be determined before or at the time the site plan or subdivision is approved. The ordinance shall specify that the fee is to be collected at the time of the issuance of a building permit. The ordinance shall provide that fees (i) may be paid in lump sum or (ii) be paid on installment at a reasonable rate of interest for a fixed number of years. The locality by ordinance may provide for negotiated agreements with the owner of the property as to the time and method of paying the impact fees.
Terms Used In Virginia Code 15.2-2323
- Development: means a tract of land developed or to be developed as a unit under single ownership or unified control which is to be used for any business or industrial purpose or is to contain three or more residential dwelling units. See Virginia Code 15.2-2201
- Governing body: means the board of supervisors of a county, council of a city, or council of a town, as the context may require. See Virginia Code 15.2-102
- Impact fee: means a charge or assessment imposed against new development in order to generate revenue to fund or recover the costs of reasonable road improvements benefiting the new development. See Virginia Code 15.2-2318
- Impact fee service area: means an area designated within the comprehensive plan of a locality having clearly defined boundaries and clearly related traffic needs and within which development is to be subject to the assessment of impact fees. See Virginia Code 15.2-2318
- Locality: means a county, city, or town as the context may require. See Virginia Code 1-221
- Road improvement: includes construction of new roads or improvement or expansion of existing roads and related appurtenances as required by applicable standards of the Virginia Department of Transportation, or the applicable standards of a locality with road maintenance responsibilities, to meet increased demand attributable to new development. See Virginia Code 15.2-2318
- Site plan: means the proposal for a development or a subdivision including all covenants, grants or easements and other conditions relating to use, location and bulk of buildings, density of development, common open space, public facilities and such other information as required by the subdivision ordinance to which the proposed development or subdivision is subject. See Virginia Code 15.2-2201
The maximum impact fee to be imposed shall be determined (i) by dividing projected road improvement costs in the impact fee service area when fully developed by the number of projected service units when fully developed, or (ii) for a reasonable period of time, but not less than ten years, by dividing the projected costs necessitated by development in the next ten years by the service units projected to be created in the next ten years.
The ordinance shall provide for appeals from administrative determinations, regarding the impact fees to be imposed, to the governing body or such other body as designated in the ordinance. The ordinance may provide for the resolution of disputes over an impact fee by arbitration or otherwise.
1989, c. 485, § 15.1-498.6; 1992, c. 465; 1997, c. 587; 2007, c. 896.