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King County holds wide-ranging public hearing on proposed school impact fee changes; council delays vote
Summary
Council heard hours of testimony on a proposed ordinance to change how school impact fees are calculated in unincorporated King County, including proposed amendments to exempt affordable housing, require district analyses and cap fees for certain multifamily family-sized units; the council granted a one-week courtesy delay for further review.
The Metropolitan King County Council held a lengthy public hearing Aug. 19 on proposed Substitute Ordinance 2025-0127, a measure to revise how school impact fees are calculated in unincorporated King County to comply with recent state law. Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda introduced amendments that would require districts to analyze housing impacts, establish a standardized affordable-housing exemption policy, and cap bedroom-based charges on certain multifamily family-sized units.
The proposed ordinance responds to state legislation and the Growth Management Act by changing student-generation categories from two (single-family and multifamily) to six groups defined by dwelling type and bedroom count, and by directing counties to produce proportionally lower fees for smaller housing units. Erin Ozen, council staff, told the council the new categories reflect school districts’ data and the anticipated growth of “middle housing” formats such as duplexes, townhouses and cottage housing.
Why it matters: School impact fees fund capital projects such as new…
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