[Amended 1-27-2003 by Ord. No. 693; 6-14-2004 by Ord. No. 715; 12-6-2007 by Ord. No. 773; 11-24-2008 by Ord. No. 793]
A. From and after the effective date of this section,
in any instance in which the City shall furnish sewage service to
any building, dwelling, apartment, living unit or other building or
structure, as herein set forth, a special benefit assessment is hereby
levied and imposed, payable prior to the issuance of a building permit,
upon the owner of such property or properties to be served in the
amount or amounts as provided in the Utility Fee Ordinance.
B. In any
instance in which an existing structure is altered to convert to additional
dwelling units, commercial units or business offices, there shall
be imposed a special benefit assessment as provided in the Utility
Fee Ordinance. However, in no event shall the cumulative assessment
for said alterations exceed 75% of the assessment for new construction.
C. In any
instance in which an industrial or commercial structure is altered
to add additional square footage, there shall be imposed a special
benefit assessment in accordance with the schedules as provided in
the Utility Fee Ordinance. Expansion of existing structures shall
be allowed credit for previously paid special benefit assessments
in all types of uses, except dwellings and dwelling units and planned
unit development.
D. In any
instance in which a school or college expands existing structures
or constructs new buildings for nonresident use, there shall be imposed
a special benefit assessment in accordance with the schedule section
of the Utility Fee Ordinance entitled “Industrial Warehousing.”
In the instance where a school or college adds or expands its residential
buildings, a benefit assessment shall be imposed in accordance with
the section of the Utility Fee Ordinance entitled “Dwellings
and Dwelling Units,” or, in the event of construction of dormitories,
the schedule entitled “Schools and Colleges, Including Dormitories”
shall be applicable.
E. In any
instance in which a continuing-care facility licensed by the State
Department of Aging provides three levels of care for individuals
60 years of age or older, “independent living,” “assisted
living,” and “comprehensive care” as those terms
are defined by Maryland law, and also owns and maintains substantial
on-site infrastructure, there shall be imposed a special benefit assessment
in the following amounts. For independent-living units (single-family
dwelling units or apartments or multifamily units) there shall be
imposed a special benefit assessment in the amount of 65% of the amount
of assessment set forth for said uses in the Utility Fee Ordinance.
For assisted-living units and/or comprehensive-care units the amount
of assessment shall be the same as set forth in the Utility Fee Ordinance
for hospitals, care homes and nursing homes.
F. In situations
where no specified category is provided for in this section, the Director
of Planning shall determine the applicable special benefit assessment
to be charged, but in no case shall such charges exceed those existing
in the Utility Fee Ordinance.
G. The Director
of Planning may waive or modify special benefit assessments for the
construction or rehabilitation of lower-income housing units as authorized
under § 21-101 of Article 24 of the Annotated Code of Maryland.