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West Haven council adopts updated consolidated fees and fines schedule
Summary
Council adopted Resolution 46-2025 after a public hearing; changes include identical-plan plan-review fees, a $50 zoning-verification letter fee, clarified site-plan and subdivision fee listings, online transaction fees and keeping accessory dwelling unit and short-term rental permit fees at $0.
West Haven City Council on Sept. 17 approved Resolution 46-2025 to amend the city's consolidated fees and fine schedule, following a staff presentation and a public hearing in which no members of the public addressed the proposal.
Community Development Director Steven said key changes respond to recent state code updates and to internal clarifications. Under the changes, an "identical plan" (a repeat plan submitted after an original plan) is subject to a reduced plan-review fee: the city will assess 30% of the normal plan-review fee for identical residential plans, consistent with the updated state code. Steven said the city had already updated online application forms to reflect the change.
The amendments also tidy duplicate entries in the subdivision and site-plan sections, switch preliminary/final site-plan fee timing to better match review effort, and add a $50 charge for formal zoning-verification letters when staff must research zoning history. Steven said the $50 fee is intended to cover staff time required to produce an official letter rather than informal answers. He also noted that the city will keep accessory dwelling-unit and short-term rental application fees at $0 to avoid discouraging registration.
The fee schedule adds transaction fees to recover costs when online payments fail and the city incurs third-party charges. Steven told council the transaction charges are intended to be recoverable from applicants who caused the charge so the city need not absorb processing penalties.
Councilmember questions focused on whether residents would be charged for simple zoning inquiries; Steven said typical map lookups are not expected to result in a $50 charge, which is aimed primarily at more complex research requests by developers or financial institutions.
Council voted to adopt Resolution 46-2025 by roll call: Council member Kahl: Aye; Council member Moersch: Aye; Council member Saunders: Aye; Council member Dixon: Aye. The resolution passed.
