In recent decades, Collier County has experienced significant population growth that has resulted in increased land values and constructions costs. This growth prompted Collier County to repeatedly contract Benesch to develop or update impact fees in nine program areas.
Since 2000, Collier County averaged annual population growth of 2.2% and is projected to grow at approximately 1.4% annually through 2040. By developing localized indexing methods, Benesch was able to reflect annual changes in cost in Collier County. Administrative manual preparation and updating was used to assist County staff in management of the comprehensive impact fee program.
These high growth rates required additional infrastructure. It was determined that significant increases in land values and construction costs were normal for the Collier County during periods of high growth and that they have one of highest income-per-person metrics and has one of the most productive tax bases in Florida. Community concerns about high impact fees from development would need to be continuously addressed during the fee update process.
As a result of these insights, studies were prepared that reflected accurate cost estimates and presented findings with a high level of transparency to successfully gain public support. The County has raised and used almost $1 billion in impact fees to build high-quality infrastructure and has proven to be developing in a way where growth pays for growth, creating a quality community experience.