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Developers and residents press council to revisit school impact fee calculations; planning commission to review Dec. 18
Summary
A Woodland resident and a developer raised technical and timing concerns about proposed school impact (SDC) fee increases, questioning the capacity assumptions and urging recalculation; staff said higher fees are driven mainly by inflation and that the planning commission will continue the hearing Dec. 18.
Members of the public told council Dec. 1 they want closer scrutiny of proposed increases to school impact fees. A Woodland resident who identified himself as a registered professional engineer questioned the methodology, saying the packet shows a projected need of 161 seats by 2031 while the SDC calculations used a larger 400–450 seat capacity. He argued the fees should be proportional to the lower capacity number and warned raising system development charges could increase upfront housing costs for homebuyers.
Developer Derek Humala of Compass Contractors said the timing of the proposed changes could imperil a 23-unit Bozarth project, estimating a roughly $165,000 increase in school fees for that development and noting the builder had already spent about $100,000 in design costs. "If it goes into effect, it could kill the project, basically," Humala told council and urged postponing or providing more notice so projects in late-stage design can be adjusted.
Travis, a city staffer, said he reviewed the school district’s updated capital facilities plan and discovered an initial calculation error; after correcting it, the recalculated fees remained higher largely because the district had not updated its project cost estimates in six years and inflation drove up the cost to build an elementary school. Travis said the planning commission requested the hearing be continued to Dec. 18 so the district can provide additional details and the commission can review the specific calculations. The mayor and staff confirmed ordinance readings will follow in January (first reading Jan. 5) and that the school board must also act for the fee changes to take effect.
Council did not adopt fee changes at the Dec. 1 meeting; staff and the planning commission will revisit the methodology and the school district was asked to attend the Dec. 18 meeting to explain the calculations.
Next steps: planning commission continuation of the hearing on Dec. 18 and ordinance first reading on Jan. 5, with the potential effective timing pushed into late January or early February depending on readings and school board action.
