Developer fee for increased density to rise

The per unit fee developers in Bonita Springs can pay to build extra density on their properties is increasing at the end of the day today.

The Bonita Springs City Council increased the fee to $15,000 for multi-family units and $25,000 for single-family units. The per-unit fee was $11,000. The money is paid into the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, which is dispersed to groups that provide affordable housing in the area.

The city has been working to overhaul its density bonus program after the staff felt the $11,000 fee wasn't helping to create affordable housing in Bonita Springs. The council suspended the program a month ago to come up with a new fee.

At its meeting June 7, the council entertained a motion to increase the fee to $131,000. Mayor Jay Arend felt it was too high, and the council agreed it was a complex issue that needed some time to be worked out. The city commissioned a study to further examine the proper amount for the per unit fee.

As the study will take some time, Arend suggested starting the bonus density program again and slightly raise the per unit fee.

Any development applications asking for the fee received today or before will pay the $11,000 fee. Bonus density applications received tomorrow through Dec. 1 will be subject to the $15,000 and $25,000 fees. After that, the council is expecting to have a new per unit fee in place.