It Just Got Cheaper To Build In Pasco County

PASCO COUNTY, FL -- It just got a bit cheaper for developers to build manufacturing facilities, housing developments and retail centers in Pasco County.

To encourage economic growth, the Pasco County Commission is reducing some of the fees associated with new development.

The commission passed a 2018 Mobility Fee Ordinance Update at its regular meeting Tuesday, Dec. 11. Dec. 11. Mobility fees are one-time impact fees on new development projects that help fund necessary transportation systems such as sidewalks, bus stops and roads.

“The Mobility Fee Ordinance encourages an efficient, safe and predictable transportation system and fosters job creation and economic growth,” said Pasco Planning and Development Director Nectarios Pittos.

Pasco was one of the first counties in Florida to adopt a Mobility Fee Ordinance in 2011. The ordinance is updated every three years to account for an increase in growth rates.

In 2012, the county won a Future of the Region Award from the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council for its mobility fee ordinance.

Pasco officials are pulling out all stops to encourage economic growth and planned development in the county. And the strategy appears to be working.

In 2016, the U.S. Census Bureau ranked Pasco County 85th on its list of the 100 fastest-growing counties in the country.

World Population Review put Pasco's current growth rate at 7.65 percent, compared to a 0.73 percent growth rate in 2012. The review said Pasco's population has grown by 12.92 percent since 2010. In contrast, Pinellas County grew has grown by 5.91 percent since 2010.

While one reason is the availability of undeveloped land in Pasco County -- something Pinellas County lacks -- Pasco officials also credit the county's 2018-21 Strategic Plan, which outlines steps to becoming Florida's "premier county." The plan sets strategies for both redevelopment and new development projects by offering incentives, partnerships and programs that encourage economic growth.

In the past five years, the county has actively wooed high-tech industries by streamlining its permitting process, helping businesses navigate regulatory hurdles, identifying "project-ready sites" and providing partnerships and incentives for businesses willing to bring high-paying jobs to the county.

As a result, Pasco has attracted companies like TRU Simulation + Training Inc., which built a 45,000-square-foot operations pilot training center in Pasco County, creating more than 100 new jobs.

In June, TouchPoint Medical Inc., a medical manufacturing company, announced it was relocating to Pasco. The company is building a 118,200-square-foot facility and creating 116 jobs.

And earlier this year, Welbilt Inc., a commercial food service equipment manufacturer, announced plans to add a 42,000-square-foot laboratory and test kitchen to its Pasco facility, creating 110 jobs.

Last year, Meopta U.S.A., which manufactures precision optics for binoculars, rifle scopes and medical equipment, announced it will open a new facility in Pasco County and use the county's Job Creation Incentive Program to hire 47 people.

Some of the incentives in the updated Mobility Fee Ordinance include:

* Vacant lot owners within the Vacant Incentive Zone save 75 percent of the mobility fees they would normally pay to develop their property.

* Rural lot owners (greater than 5 acres) pay reduced fees depending upon the size of their overall property.

* Mobility fee administration fee is reduced to $136.

For complete details on the updated ordinance, click here.

Image TRU Simulation

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