Fee ruling will not affect debate over development

Last week?s appellate court ruling on Anne Arundel?s impact fees will not have a significant bearing on the debate over development, officials said.

The Court of Special Appeals ruled last week that the county would have to return millions of dollars to citizens because it failed to spend impact fees ? money developers pay for road and school expansion ? in a timely fashion. Several homeowners filed a class-action lawsuit demanding a refund of the fees.