Lake Stevens planning commission reviews draft traffic concurrency code and impact‑fee methodology

The Lake Stevens Planning Commission examined draft amendments to the city’s concurrency rules and traffic impact‑fee methodology during its Oct. 15 meeting, with Planning Manager Christy Schmidt presenting deliverables from Transpo Engineering and staff outlining next steps before City Council consideration.

Christy Schmidt, planning manager, told commissioners: “There was a total of 9 items, including the staff report. They are listed above. In short, they contain a clean version and a strikeout version of both the code amendment sections, in addition to a new map for our traffic impact zones, along with summaries of the Concurrency Traffic Study Handbook and the Traffic Impact Developer Workbook, along with our cost analysis document.” Schmidt said the materials are draft and that the city issued the required 60‑day notice to the Washington State Department of Commerce on Oct. 3, which prevents council adoption until after Dec. 9.

Why it matters: the amendments would align Lake Stevens’ level‑of‑service standards with the city’s recently adopted comprehensive plan, incorporate multimodal standards, update trip‑generation methodology (ITE), and set a revised impact fee calculation and zone map that will affect developers’ one‑time fees and the city’s capital improvement priorities.

Key actions and materials - Draft code changes to the concurrency chapter (Municipal Code chapter references presented as 14.11 in staff materials) and a parallel update to the traffic impact fee chapter. - A traffic impact zone (TIZ) map with three zones (Area 1 blue, Area 2 green, Area 3 red). Each zone will have separate capital projects and its own per‑trip fee calculation. - Administrative implementation documents: a Concurrency Traffic Study Handbook, a Traffic Impact Developer Workbook/worksheet, a template concurrency certificate and a tracking matrix to record projects, square footage, PM peak trips and intersection service levels.

Commission discussion and clarifications Commissioners focused on exemptions, thresholds and how fees are used. Commissioner Morton said he was “glad to see that there are… a minimum threshold,” and noted the rule in the draft that accessory dwelling units and improvements to individual dwellings are exempt. Schmidt confirmed exemptions and explained the existing 25 PM peak‑trip threshold for requiring a full traffic impact analysis (TIA).

Commissioners asked staff to clarify a phrase in the design standards that currently reads, “the improvements shall not create a significant safety hazard.” Commissioner Morton asked, “Oh, what's significant?” Schmidt agreed staff would clarify whether—or how—to retain the modifier “significant.”

Russ Wright, planning director, described the rationale for three fee zones: “Because of the lake, it creates significant different traffic patterns in the city… the way the traffic moves in the south part of the city, it's really using Twentieth Street Southeast primarily. So that's where those impacts are localized.” Wright also said the methodology allows limited transfers between zone funds for large, citywide capital projects.

On competitiveness and scale, Schmidt said staff compared Lake Stevens’ fees with neighboring cities and presented those comparisons to City Council; she told the commission that in at least one zone Lake Stevens’ fees were “slightly higher than the average.” Commissioners pressed staff on how the per‑trip numbers translate to development costs. Schmidt and staff gave a worksheet example: a 2‑unit short plat produced an $8,000 total fee in that worked example. Commissioners also noted that impact fees are a one‑time charge tied to projected PM peak‑hour trips and do not automatically capture future increases in trips beyond the projection horizon.

Process and timing Schmidt said the materials remain draft while the city and its consultant complete final edits. Staff had tentatively listed a public hearing on Nov. 5 but will postpone that to allow further direction from City Council and additional study sessions. Because the Department of Commerce 60‑day notice was issued Oct. 3, council cannot adopt the amendments until after Dec. 9; Schmidt said adoption is likely in late December or early next year.

What staff will do next Staff will refine language on safety standards and exemptions, finalize the technical workbook and fee formula with Transpo Engineering, incorporate City Council input on capital‑project allocations, and return to the Planning Commission for additional study sessions before a public hearing.

Votes taken during the meeting included routine procedural matters: approval of the Sept. 17 minutes and the excused absence for Commissioner Jennifer Davis. The commission adjourned at the end of the meeting.