Noblesville officials are using the city’s growth to its advantage by updating its parks impact fees which will be used to create more green spaces, trails and amenities at its parks.
Officials said the demands placed on the park system by rapid growth have, and will, outpace the city’s financial ability to provide the new and expanded facilities in the parks and recreation master plan. Updated park impact fees will provide a new source of capital improvement revenue.
“Its new people causing demand for these services,” said Mike Howard, city attorney.
Fees are used to finance new recreational infrastructure created by the demand of an increased population.
“There is a higher demand than it used to be. Nowadays people expect trails as much as they do roads,” Noblesville Planning Director Christy Langley said. “We can’t use it fund current deficiencies or maintenance … only for new improvements, not to maintain.”
Noblesville is on its sixth update, the last study was completed in 2010. Officials said impact fees cannot be collected for more than five years without a review and approval by the city council. Impact fees are collected prior to the issuance of each new residential building permit.
“It has to be residential and it has to be new,” said Langley. “It’s collected by the parks department for parks within city limits.”
According to the ordinance, homeowners of a new construction will have to pay $1,718 beginning in mid-June. Duplexes, apartment complexes (one to three bedrooms) and mobile homes will pay amounts ranging from $1,005 to $1,546.
“I think this is well conceived,” said councilor Greg O’Connor. “We’ve got some big plans going forward with the parks department … Now is the time to start moving forward with some pieces out there (Eastside Park). As the population grows, we’re going to need more parks and amenities.”
