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Council declines 50% fire-impact fee reduction for SR Georgetown solar project
Summary
Council debated a request from SR Georgetown to halve Phase 2 fire-impact fees, citing lower combustibility for metal/solar construction and staff support for consistency with Phase 1; after discussion about precedent and equipment needs, a motion to grant the appeal failed on the floor.
Councilors on Jan. 27 heard a request from the developer of the SR Georgetown solar project to reduce the Phase 2 fire impact fee by 50%. Planning Director Holly Richardson told the council the Phase 2 fee under the current ordinance is estimated at $704,000 and the developer proposed a 50% reduction, depositing $352,000 under a memorandum of understanding while noting that the reduction granted for phase 1 resulted in a reduced payment of $1,008,000 for that phase.
Richardson said the fire impact fee is calculated from construction cost and that the solar phased work uses mostly metal, which presents a lower combustibility profile than vertical brick-and-mortar construction. "Due to the minimal fire hazard potential, most of this construction is obviously metal," Richardson said, and staff recommended approval of the reduced fee because it was consistent with the reduction approved for phase 1.
Emergency Services staff described how some phase-1 impact-fee funds bought specialized equipment and said the proposed phase-2 funds would supplement those purchases. An emergency-services representative explained the phase-2 list includes hoses, fittings and nozzles to make earlier equipment purchases turnkey and noted some items have 10–30 year lifespans.
Several council members questioned equity and precedent. One member asked why the county should reduce fees for a solar farm when similar reductions were not commonly granted to homeowners or other businesses. Another member emphasized that applicants knew of the fee before development and that reductions set a precedent. After discussion, Councilor Anderson moved to grant the appeal; the motion was seconded by Councilor Cooper. The motion failed on the floor.
The issue was presented as a formal appeal under the county's existing 1997 fire impact fee ordinance; no amendment of the ordinance was proposed during the meeting. Council did not adopt an alternative fee schedule for solar or direct staff to prepare an ordinance change during this session. The council record shows the request and debate but no subsequent direction to change the underlying ordinance.
