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Commissioners discuss scaling residential impact fees under SB 5258; ADU and addition charges remain unresolved
Summary
The Planning Commission reviewed staff recommendations to scale transportation, park and other development impact fees by dwelling square footage to comply with Senate Bill 5258; commissioners split on whether accessory dwelling units should remain exempt and directed staff to draft options and consult legal and Department of Commerce guidance.
At its April 16, 2025 meeting the Planning Commission considered proposed changes to the city's development impact fees to comply with Senate Bill 5258, which requires jurisdictions to scale certain impact fees according to residential building size.
Staff recommended using a square-footage basis for residential scaling after a consultant study because it avoids ambiguity about bedroom counts or individualized traffic analyses. "They recommended us to use the square footage basis because it's the simplest and, most uniform basis to apply impact fees," Giuliano, planning staff, said while describing the consultant FCS Group's analysis.
Commissioners discussed three key policy questions raised by staff: whether to continue exempting accessory dwelling units (ADUs) from impact fees; whether home additions should be charged (and, if so, at what threshold); and what definitions or credits the city should apply for lower-cost housing.
Major details and debate
- ADU exemptions: Staff noted the city has historically…
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