Mar 19, 2019 2 min read

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At least in part due to the community’s energetic growth, South Fayette’s commissioners approved adjustments to the township’s traffic impact fee at its meeting March 6.

The impact fee is levied against developers of residential properties and commercial structures. The township is divided into northern and southern zones, and the new fee in the northern zone is $1,198 per afternoon peak hour trip, and in the southern zone it’s $1,418. The previous fees were $1,121 for the northern zone, and $1,362 for the southern zone.

Traffic impact fees were added to the Pennsylvania Municipalities Code almost three decades ago to help communities develop infrastructure. Peters Township, for example, raised its impact fee last year to $1,500.

The board voted after hearing a report on traffic impact fees and its transportation capital improvement plan by Michael Haberman of Gateway Engineers.

Fees are used for the township’s capital improvements plan, which pinpoints areas where enhancements can be carried out. Among the areas on the list are Millers Run Road and Presto-Sygan Road, where the developer of the Newbury Market has agreed to install a traffic signal at that intersection once the development is completed. Also, as part of PennDOT project at Mayview and Boyce roads, a westbound left turn lane will be added, along with an eastbound left turn lane and northbound right turn lane.

John Barrett, South Fayette’s manager, said the fee structure should probably be revisited every four or five years as the area grows and infrastructure needs change.

“We wanted to be in front of it,” he said.