SEQUIM –– The City Council likely will decide tonight how much to charge builders of new homes and businesses to offset costs related to additional traffic caused by their developments.
The council will hold a public hearing on the new fee structure before an expected vote during tonight’s council meeting, which begins at 6 p.m. in the Sequim Transit Center, 190 W. Cedar St.
The fees are intended to help pay for more than $13.8 million worth of road repairs expected to be caused by traffic growth in the city over the next 30 years.
That list is part of a $19 million overall project list that includes more traffic signals, improved street design and upgrades to the city’s bike and pedestrian trail system.
The average fee would drop 13 percent from existing fees, going from $2,578 to $2,244. Transportation impact fees were initiated in Sequim by the council in 2010.
Engineering firm Fehr & Peers reviewed the city’s growth projections and transportation system to develop a fee structure.
For a single-family residence, the fee would be $2,491, down from the current $2,893.
Commercial developments would be charged an average of $3.85 per square foot of floorspace.
Those fees are exempted in the city’s downtown core, as the comprehensive plan calls for different rules to encourage denser development downtown.
________
Sequim-Dungeness Valley Editor Joe Smillie can be reached at 360-681-2390, ext. 5052, or at jsmillie@peninsuladailynews.com.