HB 956 -- Informed Growth Act

Sponsor:  Englund

This bill establishes the Informed Growth Act which requires a
comprehensive economic impact study to be completed as part of a
municipal reviewing authority's review of land use permit
applications for large-scale retail developments.  In its main
provisions, the bill:

(1)  Requires the study to be completed by a person other than
the applicant who is listed by the Department of Economic
Development as someone who is qualified to prepare the study;

(2)  Requires a permit applicant to pay a $40,000 fee to be
deposited into the newly created Comprehensive Economic Impact
Study Fund.  Upon appropriation, moneys in the fund will be used
to reimburse municipalities in an amount equal to the projected
costs of the study, notice of public hearing, and related
municipal staff support.  The municipality must ensure that the
$40,000 fee will be sufficient to cover these costs.  Any portion
of the fee that is unexpended will be returned to the applicant;

(3)  Requires the study to be completed within four months of
filing the permit application and to be made available to the
authority, the applicant, and the public;

(4)  Requires the study to identify and estimate the economic
effects of the development on certain factors specified in the
bill including existing retail operations, employment, retail
wages and benefits, and municipal revenues generated;

(5)  Requires the authority to conduct a public hearing
presenting the study before the permit application is approved.
Requirements of the hearing notice are specified in the bill;

(6)  Specifies that the authority must issue a finding of undue
adverse impact or no undue adverse impact based on the study,
testimony received during the public hearing, and other presented
information.  The authority may only issue permits for
large-scale retail developments if it determines that there is
likely to be no undue adverse impact; and

(7)  Exempts from the act any municipality which has adopted
economic and community impact review criteria and which has
required a study of these impacts as part of reviewing
applications for large-scale retail development land use permits.

Missouri House of Representatives
95th General Assembly, 1st Regular Session
Last Updated November 17, 2009 at 9:26 am