Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Lake Stevens staff propose higher traffic impact fees, ask council to set hearing date
Summary
Staff presented proposed 2025 comprehensive plan amendments to update the 20‑year transportation plan, six‑year CIP and traffic impact fee methodology; the downtown fee would roughly double under the draft; staff asked council to pick a hearing date (May 26 suggested).
Planning staff recommended amendments to Lake Stevens’ comprehensive plan and traffic impact fee program at the April 21 council meeting, asking council to set a public hearing after the Planning Commission’s review.
Senior planner Christy Schmidt said the city worked with consultant Transpo to update trip generation rates and include active transportation in the methodology. The draft updates the 20‑year transportation list and the six‑year CIP and recalculates a base PM peak trip cost for feeable improvements.
Under staff’s draft, the downtown Traffic Impact Zone (TIZ 1) fee would increase substantially (Schmidt described it as approximately doubling). Zones 2 and 3 (treated jointly) would see a smaller increase to roughly $3,700 per PM peak trip. Schmidt said the methodology reduces project costs by accounting for secured grant revenues and seeks to be more transparent and fillable for applicants.
Staff asked council to select a council hearing date after the Planning Commission hearing planned for May 6; Schmidt suggested May 26 or early June to accommodate review and outreach.
