Kirkland reviews preliminary transportation impact fee study; consultants propose square‑foot scaling for housing

Kirkland officials reviewed preliminary results of a city transportation impact fee study during the April study session, with consultants recommending a trip‑based fee schedule that scales residential charges by square footage to comply with 2023 changes to Washington law.

The study, presented by Kevin Pellstreng, the city's financial planning manager, and consultants from FCS Group and DKS, lays out a framework that divides the cost of planned capacity‑increasing transportation projects by forecast growth in trip ends. John Ghiliducci, a consultant with FCS Group, said the analysis relies on regional trip generation modeling and a project list provided by DKS.

The study finds 21,103 new trip ends over the forecast period and an estimated net allocable project cost of about $112 million after subtracting existing impact fee balances. That produces a calculated cost per trip end of roughly $5,310, "just a skosh lower" than the city's previous estimate, Ghiliducci said.

Why it matters: state law revised in 2023 requires jurisdictions to scale impact fees so smaller dwelling units pay lower fees. The consultants said they…