Traffic impact fee ordinance moves to council

AIRWAY HEIGHTS-The Planning Commission approved an ordinance for traffic impact fees (TIFs) assessed to city developers that are intended to help mitigate capital improvement costs within transportation that are correlated with development within city limits. The ordinance now moves to city council for final approval.

According to an appendix written by T-O Engineers and presented at the planning commission's meeting by public works director Kevin Anderson, the base TIF rate will be set at $1,754.76 per "p.m. peak trip;" in other words, the number of traffic trips a development would be expected to bring to the city.

"The base TIF fee rate is determined by dividing development total construction cost obligation by the number of trips generated by associated land uses," the appendix says. Anderson said this method was chosen out of six possible models.

"The city does a capacity analysis and looks out long term, six years, 10 years, 20 years, and goes, 'in order for all the development to occur within the city, we're going to identify all the projects we think are going to be needed in order to mitigate all the development occurring within the city,'" Anderson said. "It's within a certain time frame, say 10 years. And then we say, 'alright, within those 10 years, there's going to be 3,000 additional p.m. peak hours in the city. Why not just take that total dollar amount and say a certain percentage of that the developers will be paying for, and the other the city will be paying for, or will get grants for?'"

The city will do the study to determine exact fees.

Essentially what it does is it adds certainty to the development community. They know what they're going to have to pay," Anderson said. "All they have to determine is how many trips the development generates, or if it's a single-family home, you go right to a table."

That table was also listed in the appendix and listed TIF costs for many development categories. For example, the TIF of a single-family residential unit would be a one-time payment of $1,737, so a 200-home single-family development would incur a one-time TIF of $347,400. A commercial shopping center would incur a one-time TIF of $5,698, while a fast-food restaurant developer would owe $28,664 in TIFs.

The fees will be a 50/50 cost split between the developer and the city of "priority city 6-year Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP) improvements planned by the city," the appendix states. Spokane also has a 50/50 split with their impact fees between the city and developers.

"We can't have the developer pay 100%; that's a statutory requirement," Anderson said. "The city has to be able to participate in some fashion."

There are 13 projects on the six-year TIP, and full or partial funding was included for 11 of those projects with TIFs.

Highway 2 congestion relief is allocated $3,075,000 for work from Garfield Road to Hayford Road between 6th and 12th Avenues, with $200,000 also allocated for Highway 2 congestion relief between Hayford Road and Deer Heights road.

Another $548,000 is allocated for a traffic signal at Hayford Road and 12th Street while $640,000 is allotted for a double-lane roundabout at Craig Road and Highway 2.

$66,000 is allotted for improvements at Highway 2 and Hayford Road, including the addition of double southbound left-turn lanes at the existing intersection. $170,000 is allocated for improvements at Highway 2 and Garfield Road, including the addition of a northbound right-turn lane.

$2,460,000 is allocated for three paved lines with a curb, gutter, sidewalk and possible pathway from Hayford Road to Deer Heights Road and a small extension of Deer Heights Road that will intersect with 21st Avenue. $170,000 is allotted for the addition of an eastbound right-turn lane at Hayford Road and McFarlane Road.

$1,450,000 is allotted for center median island and intersection improvements along Highway 2. $600,000 is allocated for a roundabout and pedestrian crossing at Hayford Road and 21st Street.

Finally, $3,900,000 is allocated for three paved lanes with a curb, gutter and sidewalk from Garfield Road to Hayford Road as part of an effort to relieve congestion on Highway 2.

Developers can apply for credits "provided for the dedication of land for construction of roadway improvements, given justification of formal appraisal," the appendix states. Four provisions could provide these credits under the discretion of Anderson:

Impact fee credits can be requested for constructing capital facilities listed on the 6-year TIP. Up to 20% credit can be requested for provision of verified low-income housing, or for provision of a land use project "that provides for the safety, education and/or welfare of the community of the city." Up to 10% credit can be requested for providing capital facilities that would improve ridership of transit or provide "pedestrian or bicycle mobilities."

The TIF rate will be finalized if and/or when it receives approval from City Council.

Drew Lawson can be reached at drew@cheneyfreepress.com.