Paramount council introduces updated development‑impact fees, exempts most single‑family additions
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Summary
Council introduced an ordinance updating development impact fees (parks, storm drain, water; new transportation, public‑safety and commercial‑linkage fees) and unanimously amended the draft to exempt typical additions to existing single‑family homes from the new fees.
Paramount — The City Council on Feb. 10 advanced a package of updated development impact fees aimed at capturing infrastructure costs from new construction while carving out exemptions for many owner additions to single‑family homes.
Planning staff said the update, based on a yearlong consultant study, modernizes fee categories and adds four new fees for transportation, public‑safety facilities, commercial linkage (to support affordable housing) and general facilities. Staff said fees are generally calculated by land‑use category (residential per square foot, retail, office, warehouse) or, for water capacity, by meter size.
John King, the planning and building director, told the council the program is designed to pay for “future infrastructure” such as additional roadway capacity, parks and water, not routine maintenance or personnel. He summarized the study’s recommended residential combined fee of about $2.35 per square foot — a figure the staff showed alongside comparative rates from neighboring cities.
Council members questioned whether charging impact fees on modest additions to existing single‑family homes would unfairly burden current residents. Vice Mayor and other members argued that a small bedroom addition should not be treated the same as new development. After discussion, staff proposed modifying the ordinance’s exemption language (section 3.40.5) so that the exemption would apply broadly to reconstruction of or residential additions to single‑family dwellings, rather than only to additions that do not increase gross floor area.
Councilmember motioned to amend the ordinance language and the motion passed on a roll‑call vote; the ordinance was introduced with that amendment. Staff noted the ordinance will return for a second reading and adoption at a future meeting. King also reiterated statutory limits: for example, state law prohibits imposing fees on ADUs under 750 square feet.
Why it matters: the fee package is intended to ensure that growth pays for added infrastructure needs in areas such as parks, transportation and water capacity. Council signaled support for balancing that objective with affordability concerns for existing homeowners.
What’s next: staff will return with revised ordinance language (as amended) for the required second reading and potential adoption.
(Quotes in this article are drawn from council and staff remarks during the Feb. 10 meeting.)
