Fee rates on new development to change in Georgetown County

GEORGETOWN COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — Georgetown County will see changes to fees charged on new development, according to a news release.

County council agreed last winter that a restructuring of impact fees was needed, the release said. Officials settled on a phased-in approach that will introduce changes gradually over the course of three years.

While rates for commercial development will increase, the rates for most single-family homes and multi-family units are reduced, the county said.

“We used to have a flat fee for residential units, and now they’ll be based on square footage,” said Holly Richardson, the county’s director of planning and code enforcement. “Before, a 5,000-square-foot house would have paid the same as a 1,200-square-foot house. Now, someone would pay more for a bigger structure.”

Impact fees only apply to new construction and not to mobile homes, according to the county. Impact fees have been in place in Georgetown County since 2008.

The county said the new fee amounts are based on a study prepared by TischlerBise, a consulting firm, last year. The implementation of the fees will be phased in with 75% of the new value being charged in the first year, 85% in the second year and 100% in the third year.

The change will take effect July 1 with the start of the county’s new budget year.

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Caleb is a digital producer at News13. Caleb joined the team in January 2023 after graduating from Liberty University. He is from Northern Virginia. Follow Caleb on X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here .

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