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Council delays vote on sidewalk ‘fee-in-lieu’ after residents warn it would expand sidewalk mandates
Summary
Council moved the proposed sidewalk fee-in-lieu ordinance to Nov. 5 after residents and builders said the proposal would create new sidewalk requirements for many housing types and significantly increase development costs.
After extensive public comment and council questions, the Port Angeles City Council moved a proposed ordinance establishing a sidewalk fee‑in‑lieu program to the November 5 council meeting for additional review.
Speakers during the first public comment period said the draft ordinance would create a new obligation to build sidewalks for building types that historically did not trigger frontage improvements — including single-family homes, duplexes, triplexes, manufactured homes and townhomes — and therefore would substantially expand the scope of required street-front improvements.
“I want to be very clear here: this proposal is not a way to meet an existing requirement. This creates a new requirement to build sidewalks for a vast array of housing types,” said Steve Luxton, a Port Angeles resident. Luxton, who identified himself as a resident during public comment, told council he had reviewed building-permit records and found that 27 units permitted earlier in the year had not triggered sidewalk construction; he estimated the proposed change could add roughly $9,000 in per-project costs for many small developments.
Another resident, John Ralston, told the council he supports a fee-in-lieu concept in principle but said proposed fee amounts were larger than expected and that the ordinance deserved more time and clarity before council action. He urged postponement to align the sidewalk policy with the city’s upcoming comprehensive-plan and rezoning work.
At the regular meeting later in the agenda, Mayor Kate Dexter proposed moving item G1 (the sidewalk fee-in-lieu ordinance) to the November 5 agenda to give council and staff more time to answer questions; council agreed. City staff and some council members said the proposal may affect the city’s existing fee-waiver programs and could reduce the financial incentive that helped spur smaller housing projects. Councilmember comments reflected concern about sequencing the change alongside comprehensive-plan updates and rezoning so that any new requirements do not unintentionally discourage small-scale development.
No ordinance was adopted at this meeting; staff will bring the item back with additional information on impacts, cost assumptions and how the program would interact with current fee-waiver and development-exemption policies.
