The Amity Township Planning Commission and the township-appointed Act 209 Committee approved on Nov. 12 to lower its two traffic impact fees from more than $2,000 each to $899.52 and $705.12.
The new fees are the result of a revised Transportation Capital Improvements Plan, which was derived from a recently revised 10-year Roadway Sufficiency Analysis.
Amity Township’s Act 209 Committee began meeting one year ago to determine the most significant areas for road and traffic improvements.
Current traffic impact fees of $2,094.25 per PM peak hour trip in Traffic Service Area North, and $2,076.04 per PM peak hour trip in TSA South, were based upon projected developments in 2005, which were anticipated to occur through 2015.
Traffic impact fees are charged to developers of new residential and commercial developments for future traffic (capital) improvements, and are based upon the number of PM peak hour trips.
Ten years of residential and commercial growth resulted in $1.4 million of funds for TSA North and $144,000 for TSA South.
Township Solicitor Brian F. Boland said those funds must be contracted to roadway capital improvement projects beginning in 2015 through 2018.
The Future Pass-Through Capital Improvements Program from Bogia Engineering, Inc., Wyomissing, indicates the “improvements necessary to achieve preferred levels of service under future 2015 pass-through conditions.”
The total approximate improvement cost in TSA North is $396,729 and $165,286.40 in TSA South, with the costs equally divided between PennDOT and the township.
TSA North pass-through improvements include signalization at Old Swede and Morlatton roads ($177,114.50 total project cost) and signalization at Benjamin Franklin Highway and Township Line Road ($219,614.50 total cost).
TSA South pass-through improvements include installing a 50-foot right turn flare at eastbound Route 422 and River Bridge Road, a northbound left turn lane at westbound Route 422, and to add a “No Thru Traffic” sign at the northbound approach at eastbound Route 422.
The report’s “Future Development Transportation Capital Improvements Plan” indicates the need in TSA North for Blacksmith and Weavertown roads to be aligned and a signal added ($1,278,967.50), and a signal added at Old Swede and Pine Forge roads ($212,614.50).
In addition, Nicholson and Toll Gate roads would be aligned, and turn lanes and a signal installed ($1,403,055).
In TSA South, an exclusive thru turn lane is recommended for the northbound approach at River Bridge Road and eastbound Route 422 ($310,140) and to add turn lanes and modify the signal timings at Limekiln/Monocacy Creek Road and Route 422 ($1,933,192).
Total approximate cost of the Future Development Transportation Capital Improvements Plan is $5,197,969.50.
The total costs of the township’s Transportation Capital Improvements Plan for pass-through and development improvements are approximately $5,759,984.90.
Fifty percent of that cost would be paid by PennDOT, 45 percent by developers, and five percent by the township.
A public hearing on the matter is scheduled for Dec. 17 at 6:30 p.m.
Following the hearing, the commission would recommend to the Board of Supervisors that it adopts the new ordinance with the new impact fees.
The Board of Supervisors and Planning Commission would then prioritize the projects.
Planning Commission member Terry L. Jones said PennDOT’s recent 10-year Traffic Improvement Plan doesn’t include any Amity Township road projects.
He said also that the township shouldn’t be financially responsible to improve traffic conditions that result from “pass-through” traffic.
“Pass-through traffic — that has nothing to do with us,” said Jones, “but it affects the township’s costs to fix.”
“We can’t get this done [these projects] because PennDOT won’t spend their money within the [township’s] 10 year Transportation Capital Improvement Plan,” said Jones. “I got the 10-year TIP list and I didn’t see anything on it in Amity Township.”
“We’re sitting here trying to figure out how to spend money that will never, ever get spent, said Jones.
“I think we did everything we needed to do here and lessened the fee [for developers],” said Chairman Paul R. Weller.
Commission members said the reduced fee is more fair to developers, and which they hope will encourage new commercial development instead of deterring development.
The new CIP and 10-year Roadway Sufficiency Analysis replace the previous report for 2005 to 2015 that was prepared by McMahon & Associates, Inc., Exton.