Osceola County Approves Increase to Impact Fees

On September 9, 2024, the Osceola Board of County Commissioners voted to approve an increase to County mobility impact fees, which will substantially increase the cost of development in the County. Impact fees are a one-time charge assessed by the local government on new development and increases in costs of such fees can dramatically impact a development’s underwriting and feasibility.

While some of the County’s approved mobility impact fee hikes are lower than the previously proposed increases, they are still significant increases, nonetheless. To illustrate the impact of the new ordinance, the mobility impact fee for single-family homes will jump 117% from $9,999 to $21,710. Additionally, the mobility impact fee for condos and apartments will increase by 81% to $14,040. Fast food restaurants with a drive-thru will bear the largest increase, jumping 1,024% from $14,802 to $166,448 per 1,000 square feet. These new dramatically higher mobility impact fees are in addition to other County imposed impact fees, such as school impact fees on new residential development, which are already among the highest in the state.

The new rates go into effect on June 18, 2025. Building permit applications must be properly filed by May 18, 2025, with permits issued by June 18, 2025, to be vested with the current mobility impact fee rates. If the review or processing of the permit application is delayed through no fault of the applicant, the County Manager may extend the implementation timeline. 

If you have projects impacted by these impact fee increases, or any land use matters you want to discuss with our team, please contact Tara Tedrow (tara.tedrow@lowndes-law.com) and Rebecca Wilson (rebecca.wilson@lowndes-law.com).

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*Law Clerk Sean Klein contributed to this article, with Florida Bar admission pending.