City Council, feeling the squeeze of growth and development on its budget, is poised to possibly tripling the size of construction impact fees on May 7.

“Why should residents pay the cost of new development?” Council member Lori Pfister says.

Not so fast, says the board of directors for the Home Builders Association of Lake & Sumter Counties.

“Given the ongoing challenges in the housing market, including rising costs and economic uncertainty, we respectfully ask that you table this proposal for now and allow for further discussions with the stakeholders who are working to provide much-needed housing in our community.”

The association, in a March 19 letter to the city, says it may have unintended consequences, especially for first-time home buyers.

Tavares isn’t the only city feeling the pressure.

Leesburg City Commissioners recently voted 4-1 against a proposed 20-month building moratorium before a raucous crowd of more than 300, many of whom liked the idea. A moratorium would send the wrong message, business leaders argued.

Residents across Lake County routinely turn out at local government meetings to complain about crowded roads, fears of school overcrowding and limited water supplies, not to mention rooftops crowding out views of treetops.

Pfister said she is not against growth but Tavares has always had a small-town feel.

“We don’t want to be a suburb of Orlando,” she says. “It’s about quality of life.”

Besides, the fees have not been changed for 19 years, she says. Several years ago, during an economic downturn, the city even waived impact fees.

Builders will pass the cost onto homeowners.

A consultant recommends the following construction impact fees for a single-family home:

· For police, $625, a 190.20 percent increase over the existing fee of $215.37.

· Fire, $664, up 64.85 percent over $402.78.

· Parks and recreation, $1,467, or 233.42 percent over existing $439.99.

· General government, $756, no change.

All together the changes average out to 160.46 percent, going from $1,058.14 to $3,512.

A comparison chart in the study shows at present Tavares collecting some of the lowest fees. The change could have the city among the top, almost equal to Mount Dora.

The home builders wrote: “… Florida law contemplates phasing in impact fee increases over a four-year period, with any increase exceeding 12.5% annually requiring extraordinary circumstances. Given the moderate growth rate in Tavares, we feel that a more measured approach would be beneficial to both the city and the families who wish to call it home.”

Pfister says she is not trying to compare its fees with other cities. Each town has its own needs.

Housing developments need police and fire protection, which are especially expensive. Thanks to inflation, it’s not going to get any cheaper. And because City Council approved several subdivisions in the Dead River area, traffic is “a mess,” she says.

“I kept voting no, no, no.”

State Road 19 needs to be widened to four lanes from Main Street to Lane Park Road, she says, but it is a state road.

The population of Tavares was estimated in 2024 to be 21,530 located within 14 square miles. One study predicts “strong growth,” with the population reaching about 28,161 by 2034.

One of the issues, Pfister says, is that there is a limited amount of space for commercial development.

The county didn’t help the matter when it purchased a large piece of property on U.S. Highway 441 for the supervisor of elections office.

Council member Bob Grenier says he is “100 percent in favor” of Pfister’s plan.

Like Pfister, he is upset about the way growth is costing residents and stretching the city’s budget. Not only does the city have to increase its police and fire budgets but public works, too. “We need to repair the infrastructure,” he says.

The county should also coordinate with cities on its roads, he says.

Overcrowding in general threatens the look and feel of Tavares, he explains.

Grenier, who is a historian and author, was delighted recently when a downtown business owner took the time to study historic architectural features.

A former Disney employee, he was able to get Council to approve a five-section theme-park feel to the waterfront parks and facilities.

“I don’t want to be any town USA,” he says.