Title
Approval of an Ordinance Reducing Impact Fees for Qualified Low-Income Housing Development Projects
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
The Land Use and Environment Committee considered this issue at its April 18, 2018, meeting.
City Manager Recommendation:
Move to approve the Ordinance Reducing Impact Fees for Qualifying Low-Income Housing Development Projects on second reading.
Report
Issue:
Whether to approve an ordinance reducing impacts for qualifying low-income housing development projects.
Staff Contact:
Keith Stahley, Director Community Planning and Development Department 360.753.8227
Presenter(s):
None - Consent Calendar Item.
Background and Analysis:
Background and analysis has not changed from first reading to second reading.
The City of Olympia charges impact fees to defray the costs that new development has on the City's infrastructure. The City charges impact fees for parks as well as transportation. These fees are used as one of the funding sources to help to construct new parks and transportation facilities. The City also collects impact fees for the Olympia School District.
Impact fees are a commonly used funding source for infrastructure construction in the State of Washington. Most cities in the urban part of the state collect impact fees. In Thurston County the cities of Olympia and Tumwater collect impact fees as does Thurston County. The City of Lacey does not collect impact fees; however, it does collect State Environmental Policy Act mitigation fees that serve a similar purpose.
Some communities choose to reduce impact fees for affordable housing projects. This practice is known as an Impact Fee Abatement or as an Impact Fee Waivers and Exemption.
Impact fee waivers or exemptions are less commonly used; however, many other cities throughout the state have adopted impact fee waiver and exemption regulations. A summary of communities and their regulations is attached. The Revised Code of Washington Cha...
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