§ 47-27. Legislative findings applicable to parks and recreational facilities impact fees.

The Board of County Commissioners of Levy County, Florida, hereby finds, determines and declares that:

(a)

The county park system benefits all residents of the unincorporated area of the county and, therefore, the park impact fee shall be imposed in all unincorporated areas of the county.

(b)

Development necessitated by the growth contemplated in the comprehensive plan will require improvements and additions to the county park system to accommodate the development generated by such growth and maintain the standards of service currently provided by the county.

(c)

Future growth, as represented by residential construction, should contribute its fair share to the cost of improvements and additions to the county park system that are required to accommodate such growth and the use of such county park system by such growth.

(d)

Implementation of a park impact fee to require future residential construction to contribute its fair share to the cost of required park capital improvements and additions is an integral and vital element of the regulatory plan of growth management incorporated in the comprehensive plan of the county.

(e)

The imposition of a park impact fee is to provide a source of revenue to fund the construction or improvement of the county park system necessitated by growth.

(f)

The county expressly finds that the maintenance of the standards for the county park system as contained in the park impact fee study provides a benefit to all residential construction within the unincorporated areas of the county in excess of the amount of the park impact fee.

(g)

The county has the responsibility to provide parks and recreational facilities in the county park system. Residential construction occurring within the unincorporated areas of the county impacts upon the county park system; therefore, such residential construction should pay its fair share of the cost of maintaining the county's existing standard of service.

(h)

The purpose of this article is to require payment of park impact fees by those who engage in residential construction within the unincorporated areas of the county and to provide for the cost of capital improvements to the county park system which are required to accommodate such growth. This chapter shall not be construed to permit the collection of park impact fees in excess of the amount reasonably anticipated to offset the demand on the county park system generated by such residential construction.

(i)

Any required improvements and additions to the county park system needed to eliminate any deficiencies shall be financed by revenue sources of the county other than park impact fees.

(Ord. No. 05-08, § 2.02, 11-17-2005)