Planning commission backs code change to require pre-application meetings for most development

The Independence Planning Commission voted to recommend approval of Legislative Amendment LA-2025-03, a code change that would require a pre-application conference for most development activities in the city.

City planner Fred Evander told the commission the change is intended to give applicants an early, coordinated estimate of required improvements and costs so they can make informed decisions before investing in a project. “We want a pre application upfront so we can essentially lay the cost on the table,” Evander said.

The proposed ordinance would make the pre-application conference a routine step for projects that are not already covered by recent subdivision approvals; Evander said the rule is intended to prevent surprises such as unexpected system development charges (SDCs) or right-of-way improvement requirements that have caused applicants to abandon or scramble on projects in the past. He described cases including a proposed drive-through coffee shop and a daycare that withdrew after learning SDC or trip-generation costs, and a partition where right-of-way improvements appeared late in the process and created contractual problems for an applicant.

Commissioners pressed staff on how fees would be handled. The draft code text does not set a dollar figure; commissioners asked that the municipal fee schedule include a specific line for pre-application conferences and that the application form disclose any fee. Evander said the city council sets fees and that council would be asked to set the precise charge; he also said councils sometimes choose to credit pre-application fees against later application fees.

The draft includes exemptions and clarifications: projects within a subdivision approved within the previous five years would not require a pre-application; single-family infill and other narrow cases were discussed to clarify where the requirement would apply. Evander noted a partition application fee example of about $635, while warning SDCs or right-of-way improvements can be substantially larger than nominal permit fees. He also said a required pre-application is expected to reduce overall staff time spent troubleshooting late-stage problems.

There was no public testimony at the hearing. A motion to recommend approval of LA-2025-03 was made and seconded; the commission voted in favor and forwarded the recommendation to the city council, leaving fees and exact dollar amounts to council action.

The commission asked staff to reference the existing fee section in the municipal code and to ensure the application clearly discloses any fee. Evander said the draft will be revised to reference the fees section and return to the commission with that change before council consideration.