Most communities across New York, whether they’re in the shadow of the Manhattan skyline or a stone’s throw from a Finger Lake, encourage the development and redevelopment of underperforming land. New developments like small office buildings with ground-floor retail or large apartment buildings, can attract residents, business owners, and shoppers—all of whom bring the promise of increased sales tax, income tax, and property tax revenues.

But new developments also bring with them costs and additional strain on local resources like emergency services, utilities, and roads. Even before any shovels break ground, there are initial costs municipalities and counties incur in permitting, planning, and reviewing new projects to ensure that the proposed work complies with all applicable laws, ordinances, and regulations. While they could use tax revenues to offset these costs (and some do), municipalities and counties often turn to two other revenue sources, impact and administrative review fees, to recoup them.