Commission adopts park impact‑fee methodology, favoring per‑bedroom schedule

The Planning Commission unanimously approved the staff-recommended park impact‑fee methodology, which uses a per‑bedroom allocation and a cost model that combines land acquisition and park-construction costs.

Planner Alisa walked the commission through the six‑step methodology and said staff used recent local-sale data to estimate land value and vendor pricing for park construction. "Using data from Zillow... the average cost is $7.62 per square foot," she said, and staff calculated a combined per-resident cost that results in the proposed fee schedule. The draft schedule starts at about $638 for studio/1‑person units and caps at $2,553 for 4‑bedroom dwelling units; group-living facilities would be charged per bedroom without the 4‑bed cap.

Commissioners discussed developer credits for park dedication during platting and asked about inspection and maintenance plans; staff said the city will inspect storm facilities seasonally and perform required maintenance (including periodic top-soil replacement in swales and a 5‑year inspection cycle for storm features). A resident urged the commission to consider retaining a fire impact fee for Fire District 3; commissioners responded that discontinuing the city fire fee reflects the city's changed fire service arrangement and that Fire District 3 could be treated separately.

The commission voted to recommend the impact-fee amendments and adopt the methodology report as part of the recommendation; staff will forward the package to city council for final action.