Fredericksburg council adopts changes to building permit and development-fee schedule, adds engineering-review charges

Council voted to adopt Ordinance 20-26-13, which revises the municipal code fee schedule for construction permits and associated application and review fees.

Department staff presented the amendments, which include modest increases to per-square-foot residential building-permit fees (from $0.35 to $0.40 per square foot for new residential construction and similar increases for additions), a per-square-foot charge for sign permits ($2.25 per sq. ft. on top of a base fee), and the creation of a section 5.425 to capture engineering and public-works plan review and inspection costs that had previously been provided in kind. Staff also proposed a development-agreement fee (example cited: $2,500 plus $200 per acre) and increased rezoning and conditional-use application fees (rezoning fee to $750; conditional use to $750). Staff said sample commercial-fee recalculations produce amounts comparable to neighboring cities.

After questions about revenue impact and examples of revised fees for an illustrative 9,300-sq.-ft. commercial project, council moved and approved the ordinance by voice vote.