Edmonds holds hearing on interim park impact fee ordinance; fees moved from per‑unit to per‑square‑foot

Angie Fesser, Parks, Recreation and Human Services Director, presented background and rationale for an interim ordinance on Aug. 19 that updates Edmonds park impact fees. The city’s current park impact fees were adopted in 2014 as a flat per‑dwelling‑unit charge. State law changes in 2023 gave jurisdictions options to calculate impact fees by square footage, bedrooms or trips; staff recommended switching park impact fees to a square‑foot basis and adjusting amounts for inflation.

Why it matters: Impact fees are restricted capital funds that pay for capacity‑increasing park projects (land acquisition, field conversions, lighting) to preserve an existing level of service as the city grows. Fesser said the interim ordinance provides the council up to one year to complete a fuller code revision and plan update; the interim approach is effective Sept. 1 for fee collection while staff develops a code and plan for final adoption within the statutory year.

Key details: The ordinance retains existing exemptions for low‑income housing and early learning centers and consolidates residential categories because the new square‑foot basis makes single‑family vs. multifamily less relevant. Staff set a new implementation start date of Sept. 1 to allow planning and development staff time to configure billing systems.

Procedure and next steps: The council held the required public hearing within 60 days of adopting an interim ordinance; no remote or in‑chamber public testimony was received on the interim park impact fees during the Aug. 19 hearing. Staff will complete the code revisions and determine whether a broader plan update is needed before returning with a permanent ordinance within the one‑year window.

Ending: The interim ordinance moves the city toward a square‑foot fee model and gives staff time to complete a code and plan update for permanent adoption.