[Ord. No. 1315, § 1, 3-13-2000]
This article shall be known as the "Plymouth Township Impact Fee Amendatory Ordinance."
[Ord. No. 1315, § 1, 3-13-2000]
The purpose of this article is to amend the transportation impact fee imposed upon new development in the transportation service area established by Township Council under Ordinance No. 1107 (the "1991 Service Area") and to establish a second transportation service area (the "1998 Service Area") and impose a transportation impact fee thereon pursuant to Act 209 of 1990 to ensure that the transportation system is available and adequate to support new growth and development. To advance this objective, the impact fees established herein are hereby created and shall be payable to the township at the time of building permit issuance.
[Ord. No. 1315, § 1, 3-13-2000]
The Council hereby finds and declares that:
(a) 
The conditions and standards for the determination and imposition of the impact fees set forth herein are those set forth in Act 209 of 1990, and any and all amendments thereto (hereinafter referred to as the "Act"), and consist of:
(1) 
The recitals set forth above;
(2) 
The analysis, advice and recommendations of the Impact Fee Advisory Committee;
(3) 
The Land Use Assumptions as adopted by the Council;
(4) 
The Roadway Sufficiency Analysis as adopted by the Council;
(5) 
The Transportation Capital Improvements Plan (hereinafter referred to as the "plan"), as adopted by the Council; and,
(6) 
Such other conditions and standards as the Council may by ordinance or resolution identify from time to time as being relevant and material to the imposition of an impact fee and consistent with the provisions of the Act and any amendments thereto.
(b) 
The collection, disbursement and accounting of impact fees shall be administered by the office of the Township Manager or Finance Director, subject to review, oversight and control by the Township Council.
(c) 
The time, method and procedure for payment of impact fees established herein shall be as set forth in this article.
(d) 
The procedure for credits against or refunds of impact fees shall be as set forth in this article.
(e) 
Such exemptions as the Council shall choose to enact shall be as set forth in this article.
[Ord. No. 1315, § 1, 3-13-2000]
The terms and definitions set forth in § 502-A of the Act are hereby adopted and incorporated in this article by reference.
[Ord. No. 1315, § 1, 3-13-2000]
There is hereby enacted an impact fee to be imposed upon new development for the purpose of off-site public transportation capital improvements authorized by the Act and as described in the plan adopted by Council. Said impact fee shall apply to all new land developments or subdivisions ("development") within each of the transportation service areas identified herein and shall be a condition precedent to final approval of a development or a subdivision plan or issuance of a building permit.
[Ord. No. 1315, § 1, 3-13-2000]
Impact fees collected pursuant to this article shall be expended for costs incurred for improvements attributable to new development and designated in the plan adopted by Council in Resolution No. 2000-14 for improvements within the 1991 Service Area as defined herein and the 1998 Service Area as defined herein in which the new development will be located. Additionally, such fees may be used for the acquisition of land and rights-of-way; engineering, legal and planning costs; and all other costs, including debt service related to road improvements within the designated service area, as is allowed under the provisions of the Act.
[Ord. No. 1315, § 1, 3-13-2000]
The following documents, previously adopted by the Council, are hereby incorporated by reference in this article:
(a) 
Land Use Assumptions Report dated March 31, 1999, as adopted by Township Resolution No. 1999-35.
(b) 
Roadway Sufficiency Analysis dated November 1999, as adopted by Township Resolution No. 1999-67.
(c) 
The Transportation Capital Improvements Plan dated February 2000, as adopted by Township Resolution No. 2000-14.
(d) 
The Impact Fee Schedules for the 1991 Service Area as defined herein and the 1998 Service Area as defined herein stated in the plan as established by Township Resolution No. 2000-14.
(e) 
Designation of the transportation service area as set forth on the Transportation Service Area Map adopted by Township Resolution No. 1991-57, identified as Exhibit A to Ordinance No. 1107 and incorporated herein by reference (1991 Service Area).[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Exhibit A is located at the end of this chapter.
(f) 
Designation of the transportation service area as set forth on the Transportation Service Area Map adopted by Township Resolution No. 1998-55, identified as Exhibit B and incorporated herein by reference (1998 Service Area).[2]
[2]
Editor's Note: Exhibit B is located at the end of this chapter.
[Ord. No. 1315, § 1, 3-13-2000]
Where intended to assist in determining the appropriate amount of traffic impact fees, the township may require the preparation of special transportation studies to determine the traffic generation or circulation patterns in new nonresidential developments only; provided, however, that no studies may be required where the proposed development will not require a deviation from the land use assumptions used to create the plan. Any such studies required by the township shall be submitted prior to the imposition of the impact fee and shall be considered in the determination of the fee.
[Ord. No. 1315, § 1, 3-13-2000]
This article shall be uniformly applicable to all development that occurs within a designated service area.
[Ord. No. 1315, § 1, 3-13-2000]
No building permit shall be issued for a development in a designated service area, as herein defined, unless the applicant therefor has paid the impact fee imposed by and calculated pursuant to this article.
(RESERVED)
[Ord. No. 1315, § 1, 3-13-2000]
(a) 
The impact fee for transportation capital improvements shall be based upon the total costs of the road improvements included in the adopted plan within a given service area attributable to and necessitated by new development within the service area as defined, divided by the number of anticipated peak-hour trips generated by all new development consistent with the adopted Land Use Assumptions and calculated in accordance with the Trip Generation Manual published by the Institute of Transportation Engineers, 6th or subsequent editions, which is hereby adopted by the township, to equal a per-trip cost for transportation improvements within the designated service area.
(b) 
The specific impact fee for a specific new development within a designated service area for road improvements shall be determined as of the date of preliminary land development or subdivision approval by multiplying the per-trip cost established for the designated service area as determined in section 19.5-70 hereof by the estimated number of trips to be generated by the new development using generally accepted traffic engineering standards.
(c) 
The Council may authorize or require the preparation of a special transportation study in order to determine traffic generation or circulation for a new nonresidential development to assist in the determination of the amount of the impact fee for such development.
(d) 
The impact fee calculated and hereby imposed for the 1991 Service Area (Exhibit A) is $1,204.64 per evening peak-hour vehicle trip.
(e) 
The impact fee calculated and hereby imposed for the 1998 Service Area (Exhibit B) is $2,312.62 per evening peak-hour vehicle trip.
[Ord. No. 1315, § 1, 3-13-2000]
(a) 
The 1991 Service Area shall be as established under Ordinance No. 1107, attached hereto as Exhibit A and incorporated herein by reference. The 1998 Service Area is hereby established as shown on the Transportation Service Area Map attached hereto as Exhibit B and incorporated herein by reference.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Exhibits A and B are located at the end of this chapter.
(b) 
Additional transportation district areas or combinations of transportation district areas may be designated by Council from time to time consistent with the procedure set forth in this article and the Act and in consideration of the following factors:
(1) 
The Comprehensive Plan;
(2) 
Any standards for adequate public facilities incorporated in the plan;
(3) 
The projected build-out and timing of development areas;
(4) 
The need for and cost of unprogrammed transportation improvements necessary to support projected development; and
(5) 
Such other factors as Council may deem relevant.
(c) 
Fees collected from development in each of the transportation service areas shall be used exclusively to fund transportation improvement projects scheduled for that service area.
[Ord. No. 1315, § 1, 3-13-2000]
Prior to making an application for a building permit, an applicant may request a nonbinding impact fee estimate from the township, which shall be based upon the maximum development potential of the site pursuant to existing zoning regulations, unless the applicant specifies a lesser use or development.
[Ord. No. 1315, § 1, 3-13-2000]
(a) 
Collection of impact fee. Impact fees due pursuant to this article shall be collected by the township in the manner prescribed herein and in the Act prior to the issuance of a building permit.
(b) 
Establishment of fund. Upon receipt of impact fees, the Township Manager or Finance Director shall be responsible for the separate and proper accounting of such fees. All such fees shall be deposited in interest-bearing accounts in a bank authorized to receive deposits of the township funds. Interest earned by each account shall be credited to that account and shall be used solely for the purpose specified for funds of such account.
(c) 
Establishment and maintenance of accounts. The Township Manager or Finance Director shall establish appropriate trust fund accounts and shall maintain records whereby impact fees collected can be segregated for each service area.
(d) 
Maintenance of records. The Township Manager or Finance Director shall maintain and keep adequate financial records for each such account which shall show the source and disbursement of all revenues, which shall account for all moneys received, and which shall ensure that the disbursement of funds from each account shall be used solely and exclusively for the provision of projects specified in the plan for the particular transportation service area.
(e) 
Annual accounting and reports. Annually, the township shall account for any fund account containing impact fee proceeds and earned interest. Such accounting shall include the total funds collected, the source of the funds collected, the total amount of interest accruing on such funds and the amount of funds expended on specific transportation improvements under the plan. Notice of the availability of the results of the accounting shall be included and published as part of the annual audit required of the township. A copy of the report shall also be provided to the Impact Fee Advisory Committee established under the Act.
[Ord. No. 1315, § 1, 3-13-2000]
Payment of the transportation capital improvements impact fee shall be made in cash, certified check or bank check subject to collection by the person seeking to build or develop prior to the issuance of a building permit by the township to such person for development on the applicable site.
[Ord. No. 1315, § 1, 3-13-2000]
Any applicant who shall perform, at his/her/its own expense and with the consent and agreement of Council off-site improvements specified in the plan shall be eligible for a credit from the impact fee otherwise due in the amount of the actual costs of such off-site improvements as approved by the Township Engineer. Such credit shall not exceed the amount of the impact fee.
(a) 
If the applicant makes such improvements he/she/it must enter into an agreement with Council, prior to the issuance of any building permit. The agreement must establish the estimated costs of the improvements, the schedule for initiation and completion of the improvements, a requirement that the improvements be completed to township and Pennsylvania Department of Transportation standards and design criteria and such other terms and conditions as deemed necessary by Council, including the deposit with the township of financial security in an amount sufficient to guarantee the construction of the improvements in the manner provided for such under Article V of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code.[1] The Council must review the improvement plan, verify costs and time schedules, determine if the improvements are eligible improvements and determine the amount of the applicable credit for such improvements to be applied to the otherwise applicable impact fee prior to issuance of any building permit. In no event shall Council provide a credit which is greater than the applicable impact fee. If, however, the amount of the credit is calculated to be greater than the amount of the impact fee due, the applicant may use such excess credit toward the impact fees imposed on other building permits for development on the same site and in the same ownership.
[1]
Editor's Note: See 53 P.S. § 10101 et seq.
(b) 
An applicant shall be entitled as a credit against impact fees an amount equal to the fair market value of land dedicated by the applicant and accepted by the township for future right-of-way, realignment or widening of existing roadways.
(c) 
An applicant shall be entitled as a credit against impact fees an amount equal to the value of any road improvement construction which is contained in the plan and which was performed at the applicant's expense.
[Ord. No. 1315, § 1, 3-13-2000]
(a) 
Impact fees collected pursuant to this article shall be refunded, together with interest earned thereon, to the payor of the fees under the following circumstances:
(1) 
In the event that the township completes or terminates the plan and there remain undisbursed funds, the respective payors shall be entitled to a share of the fund balance in the same proportion as the payor's impact fee payment plus interest earned bears to the total impact fees collected plus interest.
(2) 
In the event that any specific road improvement project is completed at a cost to the township less than 95% of the budgeted cost of the road project, the township shall refund an amount equal to the excess budgeted cost over actual cost to the payors, pro rata, plus accumulated interest.
(3) 
In the event that the township fails to commence construction within three years of the scheduled construction date of the project as set forth in the plan, the township shall refund the portion of the fee paid by any payor making written request therefor which is attributable to said project, with accumulated interest, provided that no refund shall be paid with respect to any project actually begun prior to the receipt of such refund request.
(4) 
In the event that the development for which impact fees were paid has not commenced prior to the expiration of the building permit issued therefor, the impact fees paid with accumulated interest shall be refunded to the payor. Further, if a building permit after issuance is altered in such a way as to reduce the indicated impact fee, the difference between the amount indicated and the amount actually paid shall be refunded. The payor, at his/her/its option, may roll over the impact fees attributable to an expired building permit to cover fees incurred by a renewal of said expired permit.
(b) 
With respect to refunds arising out of subsections (a)(1) or (2) hereof, any funds unclaimed within one year after notice as required by law shall be transferred to the general account of the township, and the payor's entitlement to said refund shall lapse. It is the responsibility of the payor to provide the township with the current address of his/her/its place of business.
[Ord. No. 1315, § 1, 3-13-2000]
This article shall not affect, in any manner, the permissible use of property, density of development, previously adopted design and improvements standards and requirements or any other aspect of the development of land or provision of public improvements which remain subject to applicable zoning, subdivision, land development and PRD regulations of the township, which shall be operative and remain in full force and effect without limitation with respect to all such development.
[Ord. No. 1315, § 1, 3-13-2000]
The impact fee is additional and supplemental to, and not in substitution of, any other requirements imposed by the township on the development of land or the issuance of building permits. Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to alter or affect the township's existing ordinances and regulations regarding on-site improvements. In no event shall a property owner be obligated to pay for transportation capital improvements in an amount in excess of the amount calculated pursuant to this article; provided, however, that a property owner shall be required to pay, pursuant to the Act, township ordinances, regulations or policies, for other public improvements or facilities (including on-site transportation capital improvements) in addition to the impact fee for off-site transportation improvements as provided herein.