Paying the costs of development in Elbert County
Ken Johanson
asked if the commission would commission an impact study, to see if/now
how our new master plan and subdivision and zoning regulation would
impact our county budget, mainly because these documents now allow
farmland anywhere in the county to converted into lots sizes smaller
than agricultural size, and how that would impact costs of providing
services and roads. Commissioner Goetz replied saying that the county
doesn't have the money for such a study. Later during the same hearing,
bids were opened to pave 4 miles of road. The bid totals came in at an
average of just under 1 million dollars.
I asked our director of road and bridge, and he said the average unpaved
road in our county costs around 250,000 to pave if it already has
base-improvements (widening, elevating the surface to shed water/snow,
and stabilizing materials). If those base improvements are not done,
500,000 to 750 K.
An independently performed impact study costs 25K if a commercial
company performs it. As it stands right now, we have 138 miles of
unpaved road which have exceeded 200 trip per day state limit. And since
our county has so many dirt roads, converting farm land into residential
lots, creates even more wear on dirt roads. So the 25K impact study
seems like a bargain compared to the price to pave a mile of road.
Especially road use in farmland could increase by amounts that our
county so far is unable to provide estimates for. And the per home
development fees are flat-fees, even to develop far rural farmland, they
are identical to those near towns. And roads are just one among many
costs; schools, emergency and social services, etc. If you haven't
already, visit www.elbertnow.org to learn more about this, and attend
the 7PM Planning Commission meeting this Thursday Aug 27 in the Kiowa
Courthouse.
Ken Johanson