Orange County Department of Planning

Comments on two proposed local laws in the Village of Woodbury

to change zoning for Legacy Ridge, allowing 313 homes to be built instead of 155 homes

(The developers plans are for 287 four-bedroom homes)

Comments received March 3, 2008

Excerpt:

Fiscal Impact Analyses: The methodology utilized to determine fiscal impact for Legacy Ridge is deficient for the [sic] many reasons. First, it underestimates the number of potential school children attending the Cornwall School District and, secondly, it overestimates the potential average assessed value of future homes in Legacy Ridge. In so doing, the calculations for fiscal impact erroneously show that Legacy Ridge homeowners will be paying a net surplus in school taxes when in fact there will likely be a net deficit.

The entire fiscal impact analysis is based upon average selling prices of $625,000 which is what the developers believe they will obtain for homes in Legacy Ridge. The average selling price of homes is important because it determines assessed value, the amount of taxes paid to the Town of Woodbury and Cornwall School District, as well as the fiscal impact of the Legacy Ridge project. Inflated estimates of average selling prices increase assessed value and hence future potential tax revenues. A better approach in estimating average values and selling prices of homes in Legacy Ridge is to conduct a market study rather than using the opinion of the project principals who have a vested interest in demonstrating a beneficial fiscal impact.

--  David Church, AICP

Commissioner of Planning

Orange County Department of Planning