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Fife council approves first reading of updated parks and transportation impact fees, Hulsey votes no
Summary
The Fife City Council gave first reading to Ordinance 2158, adopting a council‑preferred 'Alternative 3' that raises the parks fee to about $3,060 and the transportation fee to about $7,900 for an average single‑family home (combined ~$10,960). The motion passed with one dissenting vote. Public testimony from the Master Builders Association supported the more modest increase.
The Fife City Council on April 28 approved first reading of Ordinance 2158, which updates the city’s parks and transportation impact fee schedules and code language to comply with state proportionality requirements.
Director Larson presented the proposal and said the council selected “Alternative 3,” a middle course between the planning commission recommendation and the existing fee schedule. Under that approach, Larson said, the parks impact fee for an average single‑family home would be about $3,060 and the transportation impact fee about $7,900 — roughly $10,960 combined. He described a new parks fee table based on square footage, a commercial parks fee of $105.45 per 1,000 square feet, and a transportation fee set at $8,495 per peak PM trip; because a single‑family home is estimated to generate 0.93 peak PM trips, Larson said the per‑home transportation contribution calculates to about $7,901.
Larson also explained substantive code changes intended to standardize credit rules: applicants may receive credit for an existing use's impact (applied to the same parcel or an approved larger parcel), and credits that remain after initial development can be applied to later phases only through a development agreement approved by council. He described an annual administrative escalator tied to a construction cost index and said the consolidated city fee schedule would be updated January 1 each year as an administrative action.
During council questions, members sought clarification on exemptions and timing. Larson confirmed city‑owned developments are calculated for impact but exempted from payment (the city covers the public share), and that the escalator uses a construction cost index; if adopted this spring, he said the escalator would start in calendar year 2027 (or 2028 if the ordinance becomes effective in the latter half of the year).
Caitlin Boss, representing the Master Builders Association of Pierce County, urged support for option 3, saying it represents a “more modest increase” that balances funding infrastructure needs and housing affordability concerns. Deputy Mayor Murphy moved and Councilmember Andrew Yook seconded first reading of Ordinance 2158. The motion passed; Councilmember Hulsey registered the sole “no” vote.
The ordinance returns to the council for a future second reading and final adoption. If adopted, the code changes include an updated fee schedule and the new methodology for calculating parks and transportation impact fees, plus an annual administrative escalator tied to construction cost indices.
