That would be such a mistake on their part to implement the impact fees. They are about to be in a really good situation if they don't shoot themselves in the foot foot.

UhOhNoAgTag said:

---

Has he said he is running?

---

He said on WTAW that he's "strongly considering" a run for mayor.

Under Texas law, if he declared today, he'd have to resign his spot on council, and from my vantage point, he's one of the few voices of reason up there.

It's tough making the case for CS. I've told relatives looking to move here about all the added costs and the higher utility fees. Bryan almost always comes out looking better when you start comparing neighborhoods.

jello123 said:

---

wareagle044 said:

---

Come join us in Cameron before you go to Navasota - probably easier to commute to campus from the north anyways

---

Average of 54 minutes from Cameron to Easterwood... 28 from Navasota to Easterwood. I'd choose Washington county, 40 minutes from Brenham to Easterwood.

---

Delete post. Ban user!

Don't "Brazos County" our slice of Texas.

I bailed on BC years ago because of the stupidity at CoCS, etc.

Besides we have enough folks from Austin and Houston driving up the land prices here already.

The whole impact fee deal is nuts. A developer takes a 100 acre parcel of land that has a tax apprised value of $3,000,00.0...a lot less if it has an ag or other exemption, He develops it over a few years into 2 acre lots and builders builds thirty to forty $400,000 homes on it with a total tax appraised value of the dwellings and lots of something like $18,000,000 that will increase annually and taxed forever.

And the COCS is pushing the builders out into the county and into Bryan by forcing a $6,000 impact fee on each lot...about $240,000 one time charge?

woodiewood1 said:

---

The whole impact fee deal is nuts. A developer takes a 100 acre parcel of land that has a tax apprised value of $3,000,00.0...a lot less if it has an ag or other exemption, He develops it over a few years into 2 acre lots and builders builds thirty to forty $400,000 homes on it with a total tax appraised value of the dwellings and lots of something like $18,000,000 that will increase annually and taxed forever.

And the COCS is pushing the builders out into the county and into Bryan by forcing a $6,000 impact fee on each lot...about $240,000 one time charge?

---

That's just the roadway impact fee. That doesn't include the rest of the impact fees, permit fees, concrete streets requirement, curb and gutter requirement, a $5500 per lot parks dedication fee, etc. all of our fees are pretty much dramatically higher than any surrounding jurisdiction so yes builders go there instead.

Oh the builders can pay it, for sure. Then they just pass it along to the homebuyer, making housing unaffordable. If you're talking about a $1 million home it's probably no big deal. But if you turn a $275,000 starting home into a 350 or $400,000 home there's just too many young folks and others who simply can't afford that. And so they rent.

Respectfully

Yancy '95

Hornbeck said:

---

Has anyone put pen to paper to noodle out what all that costs?

---

Yes. The realtors and the builders. Both have presented to council.

Respectfully

Yancy '95

Valen said:

---

Glad to hear it. I'd love to earn your vote for seat 1.

---

You should buy stars so people can PM you

Bob Yancy said:

---

doubledog said:

---

Bob Yancy said:

---

woodiewood1 said:

---

The whole impact fee deal is nuts. A developer takes a 100 acre parcel of land that has a tax apprised value of $3,000,00.0...a lot less if it has an ag or other exemption, He develops it over a few years into 2 acre lots and builders builds thirty to forty $400,000 homes on it with a total tax appraised value of the dwellings and lots of something like $18,000,000 that will increase annually and taxed forever.

And the COCS is pushing the builders out into the county and into Bryan by forcing a $6,000 impact fee on each lot...about $240,000 one time charge?

---

That's just the roadway impact fee. That doesn't include the rest of the impact fees, permit fees, concrete streets requirement, curb and gutter requirement, a $5500 per lot parks dedication fee, etc. all of our fees are pretty much dramatically higher than any surrounding jurisdiction so yes builders go there instead.

Oh the builders can pay it, for sure. Then they just pass it along to the homebuyer, making housing unaffordable. If you're talking about a $1 million home it's probably no big deal. But if you turn a $275,000 starting home into a 350 or $400,000 home there's just too many young folks and others who simply can't afford that. And so they rent.

Respectfully

Yancy '95

---

Most other cities I have lived in charge "extras" to the home owners for things like paving or repaving streets that run by the homes (neighborhoods). In some of the cities, I have lived in, the roads would remain unpaved (gravel) because the homeowners would not pay the "extra" on their taxes. We do not want CoCS to go that route either.

---

Agreed. 100%. The standards builders are being held to are probably fine. They are way up there. It's the fees on top of that that help make us the most expensive market for miles in all directions.

Edited to add:

the truth is, we haven't really done our homework on the building process in our city. We talk about impact fees a lot, but our discussion has been constrained. Only twice have we actually "debated" impact fees, when we usually just hear a presentation- a confusing one at best- and are usually limited to questions about that presentation with a periodic reminder that "we aren't here today to debate impact fees."

Even last Thursday, we only heard details of the roadway impact fees, and often with a keen focus on the financial benefits to city hall but largely bereft of any discussion on the affordability of our housing market.

In my estimation (and a goal I will strive for) what is needed is a top to bottom discussion and review of our process. At each "fee juncture" how does our fee in CS compare to surrounding jurisdictions? How long does each step take? Who else in the area charges what, and for what? Is there any fee we don't charge that others do? (No, I'm pretty sure.) Is there any fee we charge that's less than others? (Again, pretty sure that's a no.) What's the closest jurisdiction to CSTX whose average cost per square on new homes is more than ours?

It's council's job to ensure the process and fees are fair. We receive regular updates from police, fire, electric and water, but I've never heard a top to bottom review of our permitting process.

We haven't gotten to this spot in our "built environment" overnight, and staff didn't do it- not primarily. Far from it. For years, we've had elected leaders that tried to control growth, constrain growth, make growth "pay for itself" and/or hang onto yesteryear, even as our community and the market said "I want to be in or near BCS." There have absolutely been unintended consequences from those policy responses.

The entire process needs a fresh look. And likely a new approach. A focus on how our processes affect citizens, current and future, with less focus on keeping city hall's coffers full, and more focus on that young family or relocating retiree that asks, "Can I afford to live in College Station?" Too often the answer is "no, but I can live close by." I want to change that.

As one member of council, and respectfully,

Yancy '95

---

I believe I fixed it. Didn't know I couldn't get messages without it. Thank you!

People today already think things are expensive in College Station, but imagine how much worse it could get if the only residents left are retirees and college students.

We often treat issues like impact fees as isolated problems, but they're not they're interconnected parts of a much larger affordability crisis.

If we don't act soon, here's what will happen: The energetic young teachers your kids adore will leave. The best trained, brightest police officers and firefighters will go elsewhere. The compassionate new nurses who make you feel truly cared for at the hospital or doctor's office will move on. And people like me who want to stay because this community is so special, because of people like yall. We will have no choice but to pack up and leave. Even with a decent job, marriage, and dual incomes, affording a home here is becoming impossible right now.

Every person I just described has sat at home wondering: How in the world can I ever go from paying rent to owning a home? We grew up hearing about the American dream a stable life built through hard work and we're not afraid of effort or risk. But we're also not going to sink money into something we can't realistically afford.

The fix isn't just lowering prices on single family homes it's reducing costs across the board: housing, townhomes, everything. It's unacceptable that even dedicated city staff people who serve our community every day have to seek special down payment assistance from the very city they work for just to buy a modest townhome. It's great they finally achieved homeownership, but it shouldn't require jumping through those hoops.

We need real, comprehensive solutions, and my actions show I'm fully committed to helping find them.

@Yancy Anecdotal evidence from personal experience.

I have 2 very similar rentals. 1 in Wheeler Ridge in Bryan and one in Southwood Terrace in CS. I bought them both in the early 90's and paid 60&80k respectively. 3-2-2's, brick, good shape. Very comparable in size and age. Over the past 3 years or so I have been inundated with realtors cold calling me, spamming me, etc with aggressive attempts to get me to sell. Dozens of different realtors.

Talking to a close friend who is a local realtor I asked what the heck? What is going on. His response- "No inventory of affordable starter homes in BCS, if you are a young professional family it's in the 3500-4500 per month to buy a 400k+ home. Both of those rentals would sell within 24hrs of listing if you listed them"

In my opinion that's a huge problem long term and I support your efforts to fight impact fees and whatever other stealth taxes CoCS can dream up.

jello123 said:

---

The whole Impact Fee situation reminds me about reading pages and pages of "Notice of Publications" in The Eagle from the 1960's. It required that homeowners/property owners in selected "additions" were listed with an amount they were to pay for street improvements in the city of Bryan. The following example is from June 1963 where $218,500.00 was the cost of improvements https://ibb.co/nM6QFKWr

---

"we fixed your street, now pay up"

I'm surprised that these kinds of methods aren't used by CoCS today. I have a theory, not proven yet, that the homeowners are seen as a nuisance for many folks in City Hall, and I fear that mentality has rubbed off on some members of Council. They are wayyyy more desirous of the high rises and the guaranteed $$$ that comes with that.

The keynote speaker at the BCS Chamber Economic outlook conference referenced the CS impact fees and why Bryan is getting things done. Allegedly this caused CS City Manager Woods to throw a temper tantrum and attack the chamber president after the presentation.

rockelle said:

---

The keynote speaker at the BCS Chamber Economic outlook conference referenced the CS impact fees and why Bryan is getting things done. Allegedly this caused CS City Manager Woods to throw a temper tantrum and attack the chamber president after the presentation.

---

That's great progress. Who was the keynote this year?

Any video anywhere?

Lawrence Yun, Chief economist, National Association of Realtors

rockelle said:

---

The keynote speaker at the BCS Chamber Economic outlook conference referenced the CS impact fees and why Bryan is getting things done. Allegedly this caused CS City Manager Woods to throw a temper tantrum and attack the chamber president after the presentation.

---

I can't believe he still has a job! It's not the first time he has lost his temper at someone for speaking against his agenda!

This should not be shocking.

The mayor is weak. Several members of council defer all of their authority to "the CEO" (their own words) - Woods.

The guy's salary has increased $200,000 while employed at CoCS. We're not going to be able to get rid of him with the council we have.

I fear that "the powers that be" that keep electing the "Councilman Wrongs" of the world will keep electing misguided faculty and weak willed individuals that play right into what the city manager wants.

Boozer92 said:

---

The worst part about the impact fees is the are stealth tax hike on every home. When you raise the price on a new home with impact fees the valuation of all homes rises by the same amount. These fees cost everyone

---

I am not sure whay people don't get this!

Chandler Arden said:

---

Boozer92 said:

---

The worst part about the impact fees is the are stealth tax hike on every home. When you raise the price on a new home with impact fees the valuation of all homes rises by the same amount. These fees cost everyone

---

I am not sure whay people don't get this!

---

This. Any tax on a business is a poorly disguised tax on their customers.

rockelle said:

---

The keynote speaker at the BCS Chamber Economic outlook conference referenced the CS impact fees and why Bryan is getting things done. Allegedly this caused CS City Manager Woods to throw a temper tantrum and attack the chamber president after the presentation.

---

Woods should have been fired due to the Macy's fiasco lying issue,

Chandler Arden said:

---

I agree. Maybe we are saying the same thing. I've been saying that all homes in CS have a higher tax valuation and resale value because of impact fees. Good for sellers but because of tighter inventory homes can be out of reach for many buyers.

---

I'd like to see us drop all impact fees on single family homes smaller than 2,300 square feet, which is the bottom of the average square footage band in the U.S. - subject to the condition that the homes be deed restricted to ensure they aren't ripe to become rental housing. This as a test to see if it incentivizes a bump in entry level, attainable homes for families and perhaps retirees that are downsizing. If it works, and I think it will, we could make the policy permanent.

Furthermore, in older commercial districts, such as the Harvey Road Corridor, I'd like to see an across the board suspension of ALL development fees. This to spur redevelopment in older districts where it's needed. Many commercial property owners along Harvey and other older areas would avail themselves of the opportunity to rebuild or conduct substantial renovations in these areas if there were no fees and onerous processes to contend with.

If, after two years, the policy proves effective, we could consider dropping ALL development/redevelopment fees on commercial property that's been on the tax rolls for 40 years or more.

Such a policy would likely ensure healthy redevelopment of properties that today stay stubbornly stuck in the Brady Bunch era. One of College Station's challenges is that we are a "young old city." What I mean by that is, because we are relatively young as a city, there are many structures just a decade or two shy of needed redevelopment. In older cities, like Bryan, many of those structures have long since been redeveloped, having exceeded their useful life. Make sense?

The city of Bryan has proven that incentives work, and are working, in obtaining a particular type of housing and commercial development where warranted. The city of CS, however, has eschewed such incentives perhaps under the notion that we want to hold onto yesteryear, and that development and redevelopment will come, albeit slowly, no matter what fees we levy. In other words, you can risk capital here, but only if you pay sky high fees. (Sky high at least as compared to neighboring jurisdictions.)

I've built homes. I've built commercial property. I've renovated both repeatedly. If we want new and exciting things to happen in our community, you have to roll out the red carpet for business- which is to say, just get out of the way.

My $.02 and respectfully,

Yancy '95

PS- and please stop denigrating individuals on these forums. I like to engage you guys, but can't to the degree I'd like to when you do. I make this request respectfully.