Planners say Sycamore needs higher impact fees

SYCAMORE - Impact fees on new homes aren't high enough to cover the costs of expanding Sycamore's park and school facilities to serve a growing population, according to the city's plan commission. It decided in an 8-1 vote Monday night to forward a suggestion to the city council to increase the fees by 11 percent. Impact fees are determined by a formula that considers the assumed value of land the homes are built on, the number of people likely to live in the homes and other factors. Plan Commission member Ken George was the only one to vote against the increases. Member Bill Davey was not present. Discussions about the increases started a couple months ago during meetings of the Ad Hoc Committee on Growth Management, in which representativ