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Council adopts updated community-development fee schedule, adds vacation‑rental fees
Summary
Astoria approved changes to Schedule C to add vacation‑rental fees (new application $500 + $75 per unit; renewal $150; reinspection $75) and to modernize outdated fees; staff also noted a $250 maximum for planning‑commission appeals set by state planning rules.
The Astoria City Council approved an update July 7 to the community development fee schedule (Schedule C), introducing a vacation‑rental fee structure and consolidating several legacy fees. John Roberts, director of Community Development, told the council that many fees dated to the early 1990s and staff used the vacation-rental work to modernize the schedule’s organization and reduce or eliminate rarely used administrative fees.
Roberts summarized the new vacation‑rental components: a $500 new‑application fee, $75 per additional lodging unit, a $150 renewal fee, and a $75 reinspection (reinvestigation) fee when follow‑up is required. He also described an appeal-fee framework and noted state planning rules cap the planning‑commission appeal fee at $250 for that level of appeal; later‑stage appeals carry higher costs. Councilor Adams and others asked for examples and historical context; Roberts and City Manager Scott Spence said staff will bring the full, reorganized schedule for future work‑session review.
Councilor Lam moved adoption of the fee resolution, which passed on a roll‑call vote with all members present voting aye. The council directed staff to schedule a future work session for broader fee review and comparative benchmarking with other cities.
The adopted changes take effect under the city's administrative schedule; staff said more detailed review and possible additional adjustments will come back to council.
