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Astoria freezes transportation SDCs after council hears small-business cost examples
Summary
Following staff concern that transportation system development charges could deter small projects, the council voted to hold the transportation SDC at $3,116 and directed a consultant review; developers and business owners urged a broader review or pause to prevent projects from stalling.
The Astoria City Council voted on June 15 to freeze the transportation component of the city’s system development charges (SDCs) at the current $3,116 level while staff and consultant FCS review the methodology and local impacts.
Staff described sample SDC bills that proved high relative to small projects—a coffee shop example with a $23,000 transportation charge, a small industrial project with $187,000 in SDCs and a convenience-store example cited at about $344,000. Councilors and local business speakers said the charges can make modest projects financially infeasible.
“PAUSING the transportation portion is worth considering,” one councilor said after hearing testimony from a local broker and developer who described lost deals and projects stalled by unexpected fees. Broker and property owner Larry Benzel told the council that high SDCs had discouraged buyers and left properties sitting vacant.
After public comment and council discussion, the council adopted a resolution to retain the rate at $3,116 and directed staff to return with comparative data, potential alternatives and legal analysis within roughly 30–90 days.
What happens next: staff will work with FCS and return to council with recalibration options, analysis of impacts on projects already in the pipeline, and recommendations for exemptions or tiering for small-scale developments.
