[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6154813,"mediaKeyId","5483188-b45887564de7adabdaa6e691ba6306aa","parentId",5483188,"title","City staff: commercial development is addressed through project‑specific mitigation, not a standardized commercial impact fee","audioSeconds",3364,"startMs",3629000,"endMs",6993000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5483188-b45887564de7adabdaa6e691ba6306aa&start=3629&end=6993","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5483188-b45887564de7adabdaa6e691ba6306aa/thumbnail_3629000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6154813/Sammamish-City/King-County/Washington/City-staff-commercial-development-is-addressed-through-projectspecific-mitigation-not-a-standardized-commercial-impact-fee","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6154813-0b9305f3cebbe34bf7202b1a1a63cf7e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771150576&Signature=ecUDiSKDuzItUij9DLUrC-sAJK3OdSlg7amAWdL3sAeLZaWScSUjq6PKvLwsOZgmxHF~k2FEer8c0bqhid~F2DGe3i-zvbQyTLblfJjxRcOSQOWeIie~RJhIp-PeayzTo-U5d4ergLrXv3Ch2po972B4d8Dne3N1yAoSR0jmQzDh67~qUu050dT8aNk1D9Q1-ZJzfYysVt4wBnBqQ3pr0H~saP8-2fH4IzyFTftOmy~yMdD~ZV5sC6zO8TGIRGmDbNVXy3IylCJferrkSOT6zf1EzpTSi4zsFAeEZmuUC~KmQbt9TqjIkfe15CWrQfiVeOr5WuHwqBcWx69Epw8Plw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Sammamish City, WA","date","2025-07-25T21:16:41Z","article","Commissioners asked on July 24 whether Sammamish levies a standardized commercial impact fee like it does for residential units. David Pyle told the commission that the city’s current fee schedule does not list a blanket commercial impact fee. Instead, staff explained, commercial and mixed‑use impacts are typically addressed through project review tools — traffic impact analyses, frontage improvements, SEPA mitigation, and negotiated developer contributions — and those outcomes can include cash payments or required on‑site and off‑site construction.

Pyle described the practical reasons: commercial uses vary widely in trip generation and timing, so a single per‑unit fee is difficult to apply fairly. He said the city routinely evaluates the proposed use, square footage and trip generation at permitting and that mitigation can be customized to that use and location. He added that if a tenant or new use increases trip generation, the permitting and occupancy process is the point at which impacts are evaluated and any mitigation is determined.

Staff committed to return with a clearer written explanation and examples at the Aug. 7 workshop. Commissioners asked for specific examples showing how mitigation is calculated for commercial uses, how developer frontage work interacts with impact fees, and whether mixed‑use projects pay residential fees for their housing components while nonresidential floors are handled separately; staff said they would provide those clarifications.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","July 24th, 2025 - Planning Commission Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","Commissioners asked whether commercial projects pay impact fees; staff said Sammamish’s fee schedule currently lists residential fees and that commercial or mixed‑use impacts are typically handled through project‑specific traffic analyses, frontage requirements, SEPA mitigation and negotiated contributions.","taxTitle","Sammamish City, King County, Washington","taxId",5127,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6154818,"Public commenters press commission to use fees and policy to encourage 2‑bedroom and affordable units",2927,252000,3179000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5483188-b45887564de7adabdaa6e691ba6306aa&start=252&end=3179","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5483188-b45887564de7adabdaa6e691ba6306aa/thumbnail_252000.jpg","/articles/6154818/Sammamish-City/King-County/Washington/Public-commenters-press-commission-to-use-fees-and-policy-to-encourage-2bedroom-and-affordable-units","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6154818-2e22b8c993dfb36effd40993bd2e0226/orig.mp4?Expires=1771150576&Signature=RN9sG~Vqam~ecnE6I-5UCdRsxMLm1yQLESQd5seAuQ8ckOvLbD~~CoPCrjKI-Px3hFjBnuPly28xLmaTPS7muFTRG7rsToem5xtF4LY5vHvnNrQP6WIKSATxO8JIHvmzzWVETI742Z3K6C57YEyP~INAXTiz6-Choj3EOtQiT1KIcNIlaQDTJxfMHINtOHacjruMbq1U6s~R5dOoiXrcWdeRyVmiT5xt7RpjufLzC8w0fBqtDpxkgAJ9qe9KzQ8Dy6mP2xPpqoqLs7EXr2juSWGsoglSxQFKqInpxgS7IEx96UUgj6LsLCDr-E68l~t9M5Od4wt~bFM9bhFTFSuFvQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At the start of the July 24 meeting several residents urged the Planning Commission to consider bedroom mix and affordability when the city updates impact fees. Richard Johnson told commissioners he hoped the fee structure could “encourage more 2‑bedroom units,” saying regional builders now favor studios and one‑bedroom apartments and that Sammamish’s housing stock skews toward three‑and four‑bedroom ownership homes.

Paul Stickney and Mary Wictor also asked the commission to integrate housing targets and to consider demographic shifts, including a sizable senior population. Wictor cited previous packets and analysis suggesting that smaller units generate fewer school and traffic impacts than large single‑family homes and said town‑center housing for smaller households could support transit and reduce vehicle trips.

Staff responses: David Pyle said the city’s code already provides a fee reduction for affordable units; the current code contemplates an 80% AMI affordable unit with an 80% fee reduction. Pyle and Starce told commissioners the staff and consultant team are exploring how to implement state law that requires fees to vary by square footage, bedrooms or trip generation, and staff said their recommended administrative approach is to use square footage because it is harder to misclassify during permit administration.

Policy tradeoffs discussed: Commissioners and staff discussed administration, enforceability and the strength of incentives. Pyle warned that bedroom‑based approaches can be easier to “game” (for example, converting a flex room into a bedroom late in construction) and said square footage is more objective for permitting. Commissioners suggested more granular AMI bands and asked whether the city could exempt deeply affordable units or scale reductions across multiple AMI levels; staff said the code currently only contemplates the 80% example but that they plan to propose a more detailed approach.

Next steps: Staff said they will refine implementation language with consultants and return proposals at the Aug. 7 workshop; a public hearing in September will give residents an opportunity to comment on proposed fee schedules and any proposed affordability reductions.","Several public commenters urged the Planning Commission to use the impact‑fee update and other policies to encourage two‑bedroom and smaller units to address affordability and senior housing needs; staff said the city currently allows an 80% AMI reduction and is examining broader AMI bands and implementation options.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6154823,"Commissioners press staff on concurrency, traffic analyses and how impact fees feed the city’s CIP",344,2000000,2344000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5483188-b45887564de7adabdaa6e691ba6306aa&start=2000&end=2344","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5483188-b45887564de7adabdaa6e691ba6306aa/thumbnail_2000000.jpg","/articles/6154823/Sammamish-City/King-County/Washington/Commissioners-press-staff-on-concurrency-traffic-analyses-and-how-impact-fees-feed-the-citys-CIP","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6154823-24b847e5075f54e2bfdf121b88f8c27f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771150576&Signature=Y2JcNyLPBzK-KO6gSGv8uxvMm1HOuuF2fbNgzV~RVcv9ADHyOB0fyb0WVBkVxZGWLsIqyhA55VmrOSExr1~nTv~ibWtbo-3N4pi4Gn3~f-vWoeEl87hMBmQqbIBDEygqSj-cUT5MoBTXnbX9Dysom-6cb7L4GuARsUJtBzB87w22~RX1uRXfiq1Hf9p3cvJJvw9zwrkA1IS75cEamv84UAv2HrQflV7RDM3dMXQgI8HQlSfggMzWiC5SDD0OPc20c2HKyQMfLCvFdpD0FHwgsm690DOwmUpviwZ~YscnfUE1Ldu0ky1D2YGf~l4-BNv1zoFywsFvW8vLtc9Q3N98VQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Audrey Starce, the city’s public works director, told the Planning Commission on July 24 that transportation planning for Sammamish is rooted in the Transportation Master Plan and related implementation documents, and that the city uses several tools during project review — a concurrency evaluation, traffic impact analysis (TIA), SEPA mitigation and impact fees.

Starce said the city’s review is multidisciplinary and that permit applications are evaluated by planning, development engineering, traffic engineering, inspections and maintenance staff. “Frontage improvements is a requirement for most applications,” she said, adding that those frontage improvements must meet the city’s public works standards for roadway width, sidewalks and bike facilities.

Starce described the project life cycle from policy and vision through six‑year capital planning, two‑year budgets and the design/construction phases. She said Sammamish scores candidate transportation projects on a 100‑point system that accounts for feasibility, risk, need and cost estimates; projects that score high are placed into the six‑year CIP and budgeted during the city’s biennial budgeting cycle.

Commissioners pressed staff on several points. Commissioner Syed Safavian asked how partially funded or unfunded CIP projects factor into impact‑fee calculations; Starce said staff and the consultant team are reviewing the city’s project lists and estimates and will provide methodology details at the Aug. 7 workshop. Commissioner Ajay Chakrapani raised questions about frontage improvements and whether a developer may deduct frontage construction costs from fees; staff said that question will be checked with development engineers and returned to the commission.

Staff emphasized how different tools interact. Starce and Pyle said concurrency certificates reserve capacity for a proposed development (valid for 180 days under the current practice) and a TIA is required for developments that generate more than 10 peak‑hour trips. Where impacts are identified, the TIA, SEPA mitigation, frontage requirements or negotiated developer improvements are the common ways to remedy problems; impact fees are intended to fund broader capital needs tied to adopted levels of service. Pyle noted that state law defines delivery as concurrent if improvements are in place at development or a financial commitment is in place to complete them within six years.

Commissioners also asked about multimodal measures and whether nonmotorized levels of service are being integrated; Starce said the city is moving toward multimodal planning and will reflect bike/pedestrian levels of service and the mobility‑hub work in standards and the upcoming public‑works update. Staff committed to provide more detail on how multimodal metrics and trip types (vehicle versus person trips) will appear in the consultant methodology on Aug. 7.","Planning commissioners questioned how concurrency reviews, traffic impact analyses and capital improvement prioritization connect to impact‑fee calculations, and staff described the city's review process and scoring system for transportation projects.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6154828,"Sammamish staff outline timetable and basics for citywide impact-fee update",72,978000,1050000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5483188-b45887564de7adabdaa6e691ba6306aa&start=978&end=1050","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5483188-b45887564de7adabdaa6e691ba6306aa/thumbnail_978000.jpg","/articles/6154828/Sammamish-City/King-County/Washington/Sammamish-staff-outline-timetable-and-basics-for-citywide-impact-fee-update","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6154828-5147c07c2ae8ac5fbebe7a12c0e8bad9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771150576&Signature=M1sKIrNC9NrD7lX6HXADCpIv0rkBwuiO0OXsaP8xWeKJt~Uis9bFsUZW0~cywULOBbwnrC5H0MFzhDwKlAog8tsP2NRiIwR4iZ8w7GNLoowo~6uOOvUTYRVYPQzHlORUOBTZAxwSR7VafScaM9Gsb0zY6654eM7WQ5fiiREvonnw3Nr6ML5BC7FuZp1TgmI6ZhAin7DQ2gqoK-iHrqtG1iREap6neW5UJNKF2RrRl-Yu133o-kTu8iEOvwA2yIjMTKka2QVq5cz9-Mh3AzF2hqwMUpkNr1zv3kjeAO2ZilYR8LlFzUxpvM9dRjxlUxRoaY1EHfeNkXFf1~fbmBAB-Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Sammamish staff on July 24 told the Planning Commission they will bring proposed updates to the city's impact-fee formulas to a workshop on Aug. 7, with a public hearing slated for September and adoption to follow at the City Council. The presentation described impact fees as “a one-time charge on new development” intended to fund capital projects so that new development pays a proportional share of infrastructure costs.

The discussion, led by David Pyle, Department of Community Development, and Audrey Starce, public works director, explained legal limits on fees and the city's next steps. Pyle said the fees must show a nexus and proportionality under long‑standing court precedent and noted the work follows the city’s recently adopted comprehensive plan and several supporting master plans.

Why it matters: The city has not updated its impact fees since 2015. Staff and consultants are recalculating fees to reflect new levels of service in the comprehensive plan and to comply with a 2023 state law noted in the meeting (identified there as “Senate Bill 5258”), which requires residential fees to scale by square footage, bedrooms or trip generation.

City staff outlined how impact fees are used and constrained. Pyle said fees are collected at building-permit issuance (with statutory options to defer payment until sale in some cases) and are limited to capital costs — land acquisition, design and construction of new or expanded facilities — but may not be used for ongoing maintenance. He noted state law defines “concurrent” infrastructure delivery as either being in place at development or supported by a funding commitment to complete within six years.

Staff gave concrete examples used in the presentation to illustrate how current fees apply: a hypothetical new single-family home in a portion of the city would incur roughly $36,000 in combined school, parks and roads fees; a multifamily town‑center apartment example showed about $13,000; and an 80% AMI affordable townhome example illustrated an 80% reduction in the fee (to roughly $5,000 from about $24,000 in the staff example). Pyle said the exact formulas and proposed rates will be finalized by the consultant and returned to the commission on Aug. 7.

Staff also explained collection mechanics. Pyle said developers may either pay at permit issuance or record a covenant to defer payment until escrow at sale, a practice that some builders use to manage cash flow. He said the city works to collect fees for developments just outside the city limits when developers build facilities that affect Sammamish.

The presentation closed with a timetable: consultants will present methodology and proposals at the Aug. 7 workshop, a public hearing is planned for September, and later the council will consider adoption of any updates.","City staff told the Planning Commission on July 24 that consultants will deliver a proposed impact-fee model at an August 7 workshop and a public hearing is planned for September, and explained how fees are calculated, collected and restricted.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

City staff: commercial development is addressed through project‑specific mitigation, not a standardized commercial impact fee

Public commenters press commission to use fees and policy to encourage 2‑bedroom and affordable units

Commissioners press staff on concurrency, traffic analyses and how impact fees feed the city’s CIP

Sammamish staff outline timetable and basics for citywide impact-fee update