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Woodinville extends interim inclusionary zoning and amends school impact fees after council debate
Summary
The council extended interim inclusionary zoning for six months and passed first-reading changes to school impact fees after debate about a large increase for some multifamily categories and concerns about housing affordability and school funding.
The Woodinville City Council on Nov. 4 extended temporary inclusionary zoning regulations and approved first reading of changes to the North Shore School District capital facilities plan and an amended school impact fee schedule.
Council reopened and completed a public hearing on Ordinance 795 to extend interim inclusionary zoning regulations (originally adopted under Ordinance 786). Staff said the state statutory citations permit such extensions when a hearing is held and findings are made; council voted unanimously to adopt the six‑month extension.
Later in the meeting staff presented the North Shore School District capital facilities plan and a related proposal to revise the city’s school impact fees to comply with a 2023 state requirement that fees be apportioned by bedroom, square footage or trip generation. The district’s calculations produced volatile year‑to‑year numbers for some categories; staff showed the historical swings and explained methodological drivers such as changes in permit data windows, project cost estimates and tax‑credit offsets used in the district calculations.
Mayor Millman and councilmembers voiced concern about a large increase in the multifamily 2+ bedroom fee, calling a roughly nine‑hundred percent year‑over‑year jump “difficult to reconcile” with otherwise flat enrollment. Mayor Millman said the jump “does not sit that well with me.” Staff reiterated that council retains discretion to set fees within statutory limits and noted the district applies a 50% discount when calculating eligible costs for jurisdictions.
After discussion council voted to: (1) pass first reading of Ordinance 799 to adopt the North Shore School District capital facilities plan into the city comprehensive plan, and (2) pass first reading of Ordinance 800 with amended fee values (detached single-family 3+ bedrooms set at $17,550; duplex/townhome/multiplex 2+ bedrooms $4,878; multifamily 2+ bedrooms $2,023; several 1-bedroom or smaller categories set to $0). The motions carried unanimously.
Staff noted affordable housing exemptions remain available where public funds (for example, school district backfill via bonds) are used to replace the fee revenue; state law also allows reductions for units affordable at 80% AMI without district backfill. Councilmembers said they plan to continue reviewing the balance between supporting local schools and housing affordability.
The council set first readings and amendments; subsequent procedural steps remain for final adoption on the ordinance schedule.
