Developers hoping to build in Baltimore County will have to pay higher impact fees and surrender the money earlier in the building process, according to new legislation passed Monday by the County Council.
At the same meeting, the council voted to override County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr.’s veto of an ordinance that would have curbed development in areas with overcrowded schools by requiring builders to obtain permission before building in such areas.
The council voted 6-0 to pass a law overhauling an earlier one that required developers to pay surcharges, known as impact fees, to offset the added burden placed upon nearby schools, sewers and roads. Councilman Julian Jones, a Woodstock Democrat, was absent and did not vote.
Baltimore County has recouped very little from that law, due to amendments exempting most projects from paying the fees, such as schools, senior housing and homes already under construction. The law, which took effect in 2019, was opposed by developers and industry groups like the Maryland Building Industry Association.
Click here to read the rest of the article written by Lia Russell over at The Baltimore Sun
