Hayden council approves increased impact fees

HAYDEN — Developers will see higher impact fees after the City Council voted unanimously to approve an increase earlier this week.

Under the adopted fee schedule, developers will see a 5% increase applied to single family residential properties. Commercial properties will see an increase of 5% or greater, depending on what the maximum amount was provided for in the adopted impact fee study, Community and Development Director Donna Phillips explained during Wednesday’s meeting.

The new fees took effect upon the adoption of the fee schedule Wednesday, meaning any new building permit application will include the higher impact fees.

“Existing homeowners and commercial property owners are not assessed this fee unless new construction or expansion is contemplated on their properties,” said city administrator Lisa Ailport.

Even so, approval was questioned by both councilors and residents.

“Is it enough to fix our traffic problem?” asked Council President Matthew Roetter. “We have a real problem with congestion. ... We can’t just keep kicking the can down the road.”

Public Works Director Alan Soderling said impact fees are “designed to pay for projects ... associated with growth.”

Hayden resident Jeff Coder expressed similar concern over the city’s growth during public comment.

“I see it as a problem the government creates on its own by expanding,” Coder said. “If you don’t build it, they won’t come.”

The city’s impact fees are tied specifically to impacts of growth on parks and transportation, according to Ailport.

“An example of this playing out could be if an intersection is required to be improved to accommodate a new development, the city would require new homes to pay for those improvements at the time of building permit issuance,” Ailport said.

The same would be the case if new park facilities became necessary to supplement existing parks and account for growth, Ailport added.