Kenmore staff proposed nearly doubling the single-family park impact fee, with council discussion set for April 13
Ahead of the April 13, 2026 council meeting, Kenmore staff recommended adopting new park impact fee rates — including a maximum single-family fee of $8,832.17, up from the current $4,652.34 — and asked the council for direction on rates and timing 1.
What the records say
The April 13, 2026 City Council business agenda included a discussion item on the 2026 Park Impact Fee Rate Study, presented by Community Development Director Debbie Bent and Principal Planner Todd Hall, with consultant Tom Beckwith of Beckwith Consulting Group 1. Park impact fees are one-time charges on new residential development to help pay for park capital facilities that serve the added demand; ADUs and affordable housing are exempt under the current code 1. The agenda bill shows staff recommending the council adopt new maximum rates — $8,832.17 for single-family, $5,560.05 for duplex, $5,753.35 for tri- and quadplex, $5,317.96 for multiplex of five or more units, and $5,691.15 for manufactured homes — beginning January 1, 2027, compared with current 2026 rates of $4,652.34, $3,568.59, $3,568.59, $3,568.59, and $2,325.57 respectively 1. Staff said they would ask the council for direction on rates and on when new rates would take effect, and that a public hearing is required before any ordinance adoption 1. The packet contains the agenda and agenda bill but not the April 13 meeting minutes, so the council's actual discussion or direction is not documented 1.
- Staff recommended the council adopt new maximum park impact fee rates effective January 1, 2027: $8,832.17 single-family, $5,560.05 duplex, $5,753.35 tri-/quadplex, $5,317.96 multiplex (5+ units), and $5,691.15 manufactured home.
- Current 2026 rates are $4,652.34 single-family, $3,568.59 for duplex through multiplex, and $2,325.57 manufactured home; the last rate study was in 2019, with rates effective January 1, 2020.
- A public hearing is required before ordinance adoption, and staff said they would prepare an ordinance based on council direction; amendments to KMC Chapter 20.47 are also proposed to clarify how and when fees are assessed.
- ADUs and affordable housing projects are exempt from impact fees under the current code.
Why it matters
These fees are part of what developers pay when building new housing in Kenmore — the agenda bill shows a single-family home currently drawing about $31,724.54 in combined park, traffic, school, and stormwater fees — so a near-doubling of the park component could affect development economics and how park improvements are funded 1. The proposed rates are maximums and can be set lower, and nothing takes effect without council action following a public hearing 1.
What changed / what's next
- The April 13, 2026 business agenda added a Park Impact Fee Rate Study discussion item, with an agenda bill proposing new maximum rates and recommending adoption effective January 1, 2027 1.
- The supplied packet includes only the agenda and agenda bill, not the April 13 meeting minutes, so the council's discussion outcome and any direction on rates or timing are not documented 1. Any ordinance would require a public hearing before adoption 1.
- The available records do not establish the meeting's outcome.