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Council presses staff for cost and equity analysis of URMP's 50% interior‑remodel trigger
Summary
Councilmembers raised concerns that the URMP trigger (50% interior remodel equates to major stormwater compliance) can impose high costs—staff cited an average $115,000 sample figure for dry‑well projects—and asked for analysis of impacts on lower‑valuation and affordable housing projects before policy changes.
A central point of contention during the URMP discussion was the manual's existing 50% interior‑remodel threshold: projects that renovate 50% or more of a building's interior are treated as major for stormwater compliance purposes and can trigger exterior stormwater work.
Councilmember Bill questioned the rationale and economic impact, saying the interior threshold could impose substantial costs for property owners. Staff reported a sampled contractor estimate of an average cost in the order of $115,000 for a dry‑well‑based project, while also noting lower‑cost green infrastructure alternatives exist (one rain‑garden/bioretention example cited at roughly $50,000). "A $115,000 bill on the exterior when you're proposing only interior work" would be a deterrent for some property owners, a councilmember observed, and others asked for more data on how that average was calculated.
Staff and council agreed to continue the URMP modernization while preparing a deeper implementation analysis: concrete cost examples across low‑ and high‑valuation properties, potential hardship provisions or exemptions, and lower‑cost compliance pathways tailored for smaller projects and affordable housing. Staff recommended keeping technical modernization moving forward while returning with that analysis well before any policy changes were finalized.
