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Development committee reviews impact fees, CHIP sponsorship, behavioral-health project and housing updates
Summary
The Development Services Committee updated council Aug. 27 on planning and development items including a proposed CHIP sponsorship for a Community Action housing project, a pending 16‑bed behavioral health facility, the near-complete Wa Road townhomes, and a detailed review of transportation impact-fee methodology.
The Development Services Committee reported Aug. 27 on planning and project items including a proposed community application to the state Connecting Housing to Infrastructure Program (CHIP), staffing changes, several development projects and a detailed discussion of transportation impact fees. Committee chair Melissa Beaton said staff briefed the committee on project updates and staffing. Beaton reported a retirement and a recent hire in Development Services and listed active projects including a new warehouse on Blackburn, UnityCare Northwest’s proposed long-term behavioral health facility with 16 beds, and the Wa Road townhomes — an 11‑unit townhome project nearing completion. Beaton said Community Action requested the city sponsor its CHIP application; staff explained that if awarded, the CHIP funds would cover the project’s impact fees so the nonprofit would not have to pay the city’s impact fees upfront. Beaton said there would be no upfront cost to the city for sponsoring the application. The committee also reviewed the city’s transportation impact-fee methodology. Staff explained the calculation uses a 20-year improvement plan valued at roughly $115.6 million, with about $39.6 million attributed to growth-related projects; staff showed an adjustment that reduced the growth-related portion by 20 percent to about $31.6 million and noted the fee calculation splits costs between residential (71 percent) and commercial (29 percent) users and uses trip-generation data, CPI adjustments and reduced-generator subcategories. Beaton reported staff was analyzing potential reductions for larger multifamily developments (for example, breaks at 20, 40 units) noting the current policy provides a break only at 50 or more units. Councilmembers discussed complexity in comparing fees across jurisdictions and noted cities cannot by law charge 100 percent of the cost of service. The committee also described ongoing work on the city’s comprehensive plan, including infill and middle‑housing considerations and analysis of infrastructure capacity for higher density development (sewer, surface water, police and fire services). The committee adjourned after brief updates on parks programming and cybersecurity briefings to council earlier in the evening.
