LC Boyd, II requested a waiver of the city’s system development charge for his auto dealership. For one thing, his “impact” at the new development site was going to be about 10% of the former land use. Whereas the site used to be home to a carwash, a laundromat, 48 dwellings, a convenience store, and a restaurant, together consuming an average of 342,475 gallons of water a month, the car dealership is estimated to consume only 30,833.
Making more sense, Boyd already spent $486,000 on municipal regulations:
The cost to comply with city regulations, Boyd said, included:
- Storm drainage and water retention system: $347,000.
- Erosion control: $42,000.
- Sidewalks: $30,000.
- Landcaping: $37,000.
- Permits: $20,350.
- Impact fee: $9,918.
The point is, if costs of compliance continue to soar, the mantra in favor of corporate welfare may change from “Everybody’s doing it” to “Nobody can build without it.”
