Plaza charging user fee to shop

WEST MELBOURNE, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - Some customers shopping at Hammock Landing in Brevard County want to know why they're still being charged a user fee.

Hammock Landing, is a shopper's paradise, but at checkout, it's costing customers more.

"I kinda want to know why. Walmart's right down the block, they're not charging me. I can just go down the block," said shopper Eric Deriggi.

City officials say it's a 1-percent sales tax imposed around 10 years ago at Hammock Landing, to help developers pay for the $30 million in debt, used to build the roads leading to the shopping center and surrounding communities.

We talked to West Melbourne City Manager Scott Morgan.  

"This is for the public improvement that supports both development and access to shopping center and future development. Access from Minton and developments to the west from Palm Bay Road and the I-95 interchange. It's a pretty major roadway that this fee supports."

Deriggi said, "As a math teacher, I can tell you one percent can add up. With enough transactions, 1 percent of 100 is $1. But then if you're spending thousands of dollars here, it adds up."

Shopper Amanda Manis said, "It doesn't bother me, because a lot of people like me. come out of town to shop here."

Shopper Todd Kelsheimer said, "It's kind of convenient so I pay the extra 1% but it's probably something that should go away."

And Deriggi agreed, "They haven't paid it back yet? With Black Friday, that's ridiculous."

We reached out to property managers at Hammock Landing about this, but no one got back to us.