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IBTS review finds College Park permit fees largely comparable to peers but flags several categories for review
Summary
The Institute for Building Technology and Safety presented a 2025 analysis comparing College Park's permit and non-construction fees to neighboring jurisdictions and identified a small number of fee categories for possible adjustment, including fraternities/sororities, hotels/motels, certain commercial permits and reinspection/special-event fees.
The Institute for Building Technology and Safety (IBTS) presented a review of College Park—s permitting fee structure and compared it with peer jurisdictions to assess fairness, cost recovery and competitiveness.
Paul Hancher, principal technical officer with IBTS, told the council that "for the great majority of the permits, fees, and services that are provided, it's very comparable to what neighboring jurisdictions, including Prince George's County, is delivering." He said the review confirmed regional alignment for most building-permit fees but flagged several areas that may merit further analysis.
IBTS and city staff identified three permit categories where College Park currently charges less than estimated delivery cost: fraternities and sororities, hotels and motels, and some commercial permits. The study also noted opportunities to formalize fees and processes for special events (parades, block parties) and to re-assess reinspection and missed-permit inspection fees to better reflect staff workload.
City Director of Public Services Jatinder Coker told the council staff is already working to formalize business processes for special events and said more detailed fee proposals and operational costing will be brought to council in early 2026.
Why it matters: Adjusting specific fees could improve cost recovery and make permit-pricing more consistent with neighboring jurisdictions. Council members asked staff to return with more detailed cost models for the flagged categories and with a proposed formal process for special-event permits.
What happens next: City staff will review the IBTS findings, develop detailed operational cost estimates for the identified categories and present fee-change recommendations and a special-events fee/process proposal to the council.
