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Fife staff propose switching school impact fees to bedroom-based method and tracking Pierce County's maximum-fee approach
Summary
Planning staff recommended the city adopt a bedroom-count methodology for school impact fees (required by recent state law) and align with Pierce County's calculation and "maximum fee obligation" approach; staff noted ADUs pay half a fee and said they will coordinate final amounts with local school districts before a public hearing.
Director Chris Larson told the Planning Commission the city's existing 2019 school impact-fee schedule is out of step with state law and recent school-district capital-facilities work, and recommended updating the municipal code to calculate fees by bedroom count rather than unit type.
Larson said state law requires moving fees to bedroom-count metrics and staff recommend adopting Pierce County's methodology by reference to keep consistency with the Fife and Puyallup school districts. He explained the county uses a "maximum fee obligation" approach: developers pay the lower of the school district's calculated fee or the county's maximum-allowed fee.
Larson cited sample Pierce County numbers: a single-family rate of $6,251 with a maximum fee obligation of $4,695 for single-family units; he said those numbers are illustrative of the county approach and final Fife figures would be set after coordination with school districts. He also noted the county and stakeholders negotiated square-foot exemptions: three- or four-bedroom units under 1,500 sq ft may pay the two-bedroom rate.
Commissioners asked technical questions. Larson clarified that bedroom counts are applied per unit at permit time (e.g., a six-plex with six 2-bedroom units would incur six 2-bedroom fees) and that accessory dwelling units (ADUs) pay half of the standard impact fee. A commissioner asked how the city could prevent developers from reclassifying rooms after occupancy; Larson said the city relies on building-code definitions at permit/occupancy and could pursue recording instruments or countermeasures if necessary.
Several commissioners expressed support for adopting the county methodology for administrative simplicity and predictability; Larson said staff will discuss final fee levels with the school districts and Pierce County, then return with material for a public hearing and recommendation to council.
No formal fee amounts or code amendments were adopted at the meeting; staff directed to continue interagency coordination and return with a public-hearing packet.
