Apfo

BOONSBORO - A revised adequate public facilities ordinance that would tie approval of new development in Boonsboro to school capacity passed its first test Tuesday night. The Boonsboro Town Council voted on first reading to bring its APFO in line with the Washington County Commissioners' measure that in part bases development approval on school capacity. In a second measure, the council voted to introduce a resolution exempting the business district from excise taxes. According to Mayor Charles "Skip" F. Kauffman, by bringing the APFO in compliance with the county's ordinance, Boonsboro would be eligible for up to 28 percent of the excise taxes the county would collect.

julieg@herald-mail.com SHARPSBURG - A motion to have the Town of Sharpsburg collect Washington County's Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance fee for the county government failed to get a second on Monday night. So the county will collect that fee, County Commissioners President Gregory I. Snook said in a telephone interview after the meeting. Sharpsburg Town Attorney Charles Wagaman told the mayor and town council the town would be collecting the school portion of the county Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance (APFO)

FUNKSTOWN - Washington County officials requested that several towns, including Funkstown, vote to adopt changes made by the county to the adequate public facilities ordinance (APFO). The council voted unanimously in favor of several changes to the original APFO Monday during Funkstown's town meeting. The APFO was first adopted by the town council two months ago. The county's APFO became effective July 1, and the revision by Washington County officials became effective in November.

The cost of new classroom space in Washington County is between $30,000 (elementary) and $50,000 (high school) dollars per seat. Currently, we have an excise tax that collects, at most, $10,000 of this cost. Taxpayers are currently subsidizing new development to the tune of $20,000 to $40,000 for every new house approved. Last year, there were more than 1,000 new homes approved in this county. This is a $20 million to $40 million dollar shortfall that should have been collected from developers.

A site plan for a 130-unit development off Robinwood Drive received preliminary approval Monday from the Washington County Planning Commission. The site plan is for a subphase of the second part of the Rosewood development being built by developer Manny Shaool. The Planning Commission granted the preliminary approval contingent upon Shaool working out agreements with Washington County to pay Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance (APFO) fees, among other provisions. Shaool plans to build 130 residential units and a 22,712-square-foot medical and dental office building.

tarar@herald-mail.com WASHINGTON COUNTY - A Washington County developer will have to pay more than $2 million in building fees to construct a planned residential and commercial development off Robinwood Drive. The Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance (APFO) fees, adopted by the Washington County Commissioners late last year, will go toward road improvements and to increase school capacity in the Robinwood Drive area. Under the ordinance, developer Manny Shaool will have to pay $1.24 million in transportation APFO fees, according to county documents.

Town eligible for excise tax revenue SMITHSBURG -The town of Smithsburg is eligible to receive a portion of Washington County's excise tax revenue, Mayor Mildred "Mickey" Myers announced Tuesday night. Smithsburg is eligible for the money because the county approved the town's recently revised Adequate Facilities Ordinance (APFO), Myers said during the town's monthly council meeting. According to Washington County's Excise Tax law, municipalities can receive a portion of the county's excise tax if their APFOs meet certain criteria.

The city of Hagerstown will keep its Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance for schools, which prevents the approval of new development in areas where schools are over capacity, the Hagerstown City Council decided Tuesday in a discussion propelled by the county's vote to cut the excise tax last month. The discussion to keep or repeal the city's APFO follows the Washington County Commissioners' March 26 vote that lowered the cost of new construction by cutting the excise tax on residential construction from $3 per square foot of habitable gross square footage to $1 per square foot, and on new residential retail construction from $3 per square foot to $1 per square foot on the first 15,000 square feet, and $3 per square foot thereafter.

Most Washington County officials insist new development should pay for itself, but determining how to charge developers for costs of new roads, schools and infrastructure can be a challenge. With changes to the excise tax approved by the General Assembly this spring and enacted by the Washington County Commissioners this summer, Washington County entered a period of transition. Fees and agreements reached between developers and the county government for roads and schools under the current Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance remain in place and vary depending on where the development occurs and the impact the development will have, Public Works Director Gary Rohrer said.

HAGERSTOWN gregs@herald-mail.com For the third time in as many months, the proposed annexation of 52 acres into Hagerstown city limits along Haven Road likely will be put off again after a decision Tuesday night by the City Council. Under the most recent proposed agreement between the city and the developer, Kenneth Jordan, 376 homes would be built on the property. The annexation proposal, however, has been under consideration for several months. City Administrator Bruce Zimmerman said the delay this time rests in questions over the city's Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance (APFO)