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County Impact Fees: Mr. NIMBY, meet Mr. BANANA 7/1/03 To the Editor: New construction impact fees are neither fair nor justifiable. They punish some of our most vulnerable residents; the first-time homebuyer, minorities, low-income families and our older residents, who have supported our schools for decades. It's not surprising that "no-growthers" and people with the "Not In My Back Yard" (or NIMBY) and "I've got mine -- you don't get any" mind set are ecstatic that the impact increase was approved by Commissioners Lent and Endresen. This increase will make it harder for new people to live in rural areas and breach the NIMBY's "back yard." Much criticism has been made about those in the development industry opposing this increase in impact fees. It's been said they are only interested in the money they make. If that were the case they would support impact fees and anything else that would raise the cost of housing. They make their money based on the sales price of homes. More would be better -- right? People in the development industry realize excessive regulations and fees on construction are punitive, stymies economic growth and prices many first-time homebuyers out of the market. It looks like Commissioner Lent has made some new friends. She will need them. Maybe there will be enough BANANAs* to get her re-elected. *Build Absolutely Nothing Anytime Not Anywhere Vivian Henderson ------------------------------------- Impact fees will keep out new businesses 7/1/03 To the Editor: Regarding recent letters to the editor about the planned Wal-Mart in Poulsbo: You don't like Wal-Mart? Well, just wait until you see what the new impact fee schedule is going to bring you. Although the reports about the fees mention only the single-family residence costs, the real impact is in the commercial fees. How many local business people starting a restaurant can afford $15.09 per square foot in an upfront tax on top of everything else they pay when getting started? Or what about a nice little convenience store near your neighborhood? Not at $55.28 per square foot -- plus the cost of any gas pumps, that is. In the future, Kitsap County will only have national firms silly enough to pay these exorbitant taxes accessed by our government in its determination to keep growth out. Plus, imagine what this is going to do to the value of any existing commercial structures? It appears that two of our county commissioners are not fiscally responsible enough to know when their spending needs to be cut back instead of increasing our taxes once again. And they are not even creative enough to make those taxes work to our benefit. Thanks, Commissioners Lent and Endresen, for another Kitsap County tax. My only suggestion is to stop all payments to the Economic Development Council immediately. Why throw away all that money when you don't want any businesses to come here anyway? Jan Oleksiak Kitsap Alliance of Property Owners |