CONWAY, S.C. (WPDE) — The bigger the home built, the higher the fee will be; that’s the decree Horry County leaders broadcasted on Tuesday night with a unanimous vote to raise impact fees.
Council was tasked to amend impact fees, which are charged on new construction projects to help pay for the public infrastructure and services that new development needs, following another study suggesting the fees be raised.
Council approved the fees in 2021 and has passed over several recommendations to increase the fees since then. However, the council approved a new scale to raise the fees based on a home’s square footage, with slight increases for new commercial development.
Here is the current fee structure:
Residential:
- Single Family- $1,236 per dwelling unit
- Multifamily- $1,031 per dwelling unit
Nonresidential:
- Retail Space- $1,797 per 1,000 square feet
- Office Space- $702 per 1,000 square feet
- Industrial- $285 per 1,000 square feet
- Institutional- $1,407 per 1,000 square feet
- Lodging- $738 per room
Since October 2021, Horry County has collected roughly $37.6 million from the fees. That had grown with interest up to $40.3 million. County officials said the fees have contributed to $15.9 million in Capital Improvements, including new fire station houses, new beach bathrooms and playgrounds.
Here is the proposed fee structure:
Residential:
- 1000 sq. ft. or less – $995
- 1001–1500 sq. ft. – $1,615
- 1501–2000 sq. ft. – $2,050
- 2001–2500 sq. ft. – $2,392
- 2501–3000 sq. ft. – $2,668
- 3001–3500 sq. ft. – $2,902
- 3501+ sq. ft. – $3,104
Non-Residential:
- Retail Space- $1,776 per 1,000 square feet
- Office Space-$797 per 1,000 square feet
- Industrial-$236 per 1,000 square feet
- Institutional- $1,842 per 1,000 square feet
- Lodging-$956 per room
Critics of the impact fees suggest that the increases will have negative effects on the current affordability of homes throughout Horry County…