The City of Orlando recently announced that they would be imposing a Park Impact Fee on new residential development to offset the costs of building new parks and recreational facilities.

According to the City’s website, in 2006 the ratio of community park space to residents was one acre for 196 residents. That ratio has now become one acre for every 224 residents, as our population increases. Also according to the City, there is currently no dedicated funding source to build new community parks or recreational facilities.

The fees proposed will be as follows:

  • $966 – Fee assessed for each newly constructed single family home.
  • $825 – Fee assessed for each newly constructed multi-family unit.
  • Based on current growth projections, this would generate $2.2 million annually to be used to bring new and enhanced parks and recreational facilities to the City.

Affordable-certified housing projects will receive a minimum 50% discount.

This proposed fee was first read at the August 15 City Council meeting. It will be read again at the August 29 City Council meeting, and if approved, the ordinance will take effect on January 1, 2017, with the Park Impact Fee becoming effective on March 1, 2017.

To see the Park Impact Fee Study, click HERE. To see what plans the Families, Parks and Recreation Division has for the funds, click HERE.

According to the FPR Future Vision Plan, liked to above, those funds could also be applied towards better urban trails and inter-neighborhood connectivity.

For the moment, new commercial development is not impacted by this new Impact Fee.

Brendan O'Connor

Editor in Chief of Bungalower.com

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