Destin, Florida

Multi-Facility Impact Fee and Affordable Housing Mitigation Fee Study
   

For the City of Destin, Duncan Associates calculated maximum impact fees for transportation, parks, libraries and police facilities. A significant study recommendation was to convert the City’s existing transportation fee from a “roads-only” to a “multi-modal” fee. The new transportation fee addressed the funding needs of both motorized and non-motorized transportation, including pedestrian, bicycle and motorized vehicular facilities. Since the City had initially adopted a road impact in 2002, it’s growth and development has created traffic flow problems that were particularly acute during

peak tourism months. The City was facing serious congestion problems with no alternative east-west travel routes and a high percentage of pass-through trips. Given that Destin is largely developed and the negative impact on the community’s character that would result from widening major roadways, the City favored multi-modal strategies such as bicycle, pedestrian and transit facilities that would enhance mobility and overall transportation system capacity. The new transportation fee addresses the cost of expanding arterial and collector roads as well as sidewalks and bicycle routes in order to accommodate the traffic and transportation needs generated by new development.