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Clifford Reuter, local contractor, agreed that we need <br />impact fees, but felt we have to look at other areas of resources <br />to supplement the cost of constructing roads, such as an increase <br />in documentary stamp fees and an additional cent on the gas tax. <br />He would like to see us have a well -thought out plan to cover all <br />of these areas, and hoped that is the direction the Board will <br />take. <br />Charles Hardwick, local realtor and builder, believed the <br />change in impact fees would add $1000 to the cost of building <br />homes in existing developments such as Dixie Heights, Pine Tree <br />Park, Stevens Park, Paradise Park, and Vero Lakes Estates. He <br />was concerned that it could kill a lot of new construction and <br />might even reduce revenue in the long run. He felt that what <br />most of the realtors are saying is to give them a chance to <br />perform under their current contracts by delaying the effective <br />date at least 90 days. Mr. Hardwick believed the increase in <br />these impact fees might just be enough to keep a young couple <br />from qualifying for a mortgage in buying their first home. <br />Chairman Scurlock pointed out that they could finance the <br />impact fees by including them in the mortgage. <br />Peter Robinson, local builder, believed this tax should be <br />called "the skin -a -Yankee tax". He felt we have to pass the <br />extra cent on the gas tax and take a look at what happens to the <br />rising values of right-of-way when projects such as Grand Harbor <br />go in. Since the County already knows where we want the roads to <br />go, he believed the best thing would be to take these impact fees <br />and start swapping them for road right-of-way by simply giving a <br />credit to that land owner for a certain number of impact fees <br />when that land is developed. He also was concerned about the <br />effect the impact fees may have on low income housing starts. <br />Commissioner Bird understood that as other revenue sources <br />come up, such as going to a 9th cent gas tax, the impact fee <br />schedule would come back to the Board for readjustment. <br />38 <br />BOOK 7 4 u L 171 <br />