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Home My WebLink AboutPCD 2025-10-13 Item 1A - Resolution - DCD Permit Types and Fees UpdatesCity of Tukwila Thomas Mcleod, Mayor INFORMATIONAL MEMORANDUM TO: Planning and Community Development Committee FROM: Nora Gierloff, DCD Director BY: Max Baker, Development Supervisor CC: Mayor Mcleod DATE: October 13, 2025 SUBJECT: Minor Updates to DCD Permit Fees ISSUE The City is proposing updates to the permit fee schedule to support the addition of a new Critical Area Designation (CAD) permit and the implementation of correction review fees for construction permits. These changes are intended to improve service delivery, promote efficiency, and ensure appropriate cost recovery. BACKGROUND Resolution 2105, adopted in November 2024, established Tukwila's current consolidated permit fee schedule. As part of ongoing efforts to modernize and streamline permitting services, staff are proposing updates to the fee schedule to reflect new permit offerings and process refinements. DISCUSSION Key updates to the fee schedule include: 1. Critical Area Designation (CAD) Permit Fee Established Code establishing a Critical Area Designation permit was passed by Council earlier this year. It is a standalone permit intended to ensure applicants understand the environmental constraints on their sites before submitting development proposals. This will allow them to design their projects to incorporate buffer distances from any wetlands, streams, or steep slopes, thereby improving predictability and reducing delays later in the permitting process. Once an application is received the City's consultant will review existing environmental maps and make a site visit to investigate for signs of critical areas and write up the findings. To recover these costs, the City proposes to establish a fee that would cover the consultant's site evaluation and two hours of staff time for processing and coordination. The subtotal is $2,446, with an additional 5% technology fee of $122.30, for a total of $2,568.30 for 2025. The applicant would be able to contract with the consultant for additional work, such as detailed memoranda or site sketches. A Critical Area Designation permit will only be deemed finaled by the Permit Center if the consultant determines there are no critical areas on or near the site that require compilation into a full critical area report. If critical areas are identified and a full study is needed, the applicant may choose to proceed with the City's consultant or hire a consultant of their choice to prepare the full Critical Area Report. The cost of that report would be based on site conditions and scope, and will be assessed by the consultant and presented to the applicant for approval and payment. Alternatively, the applicant may choose not to move forward with the full Critical Area Report. In that case, the CAD permit will not be finalized, and the applicant would need to submit a new CAD application if they choose to pursue development on the site at a later date. 2. Implementation of Correction Review Fees for Construction Permits To encourage complete and accurate submittals, a fee of $120 will be assessed for each additional review cycle after the City's second correction letter. Intake fees will continue to cover the initial review and the first resubmittal. This change is intended to promote efficiency and reduce delays caused by repeated corrections, while also encouraging applicants to provide higher -quality submittals and conduct necessary research prior to applying. Recovering costs on projects that require additional staff time, whether due to applicant error or complications not identified before submittal, helps the City more fairly capture the actual amount of work demanded of staff. In turn, this allows us to balance these additional demands with the needs of other applicants and maintain a fair, consistent review process. Similar correction review fees are already in place in neighboring cities, including but not limited to Renton, Kent, Burien, and Seattle. These changes are part of a broader effort to improve transparency, align with regional best practices, and ensure the City's permitting processes are efficient and user-friendly. FINANCIAL IMPACT The proposed updates will primarily affect how permit types are categorized and reviewed. New fees are being introduced for services that have not previously been captured in the fee schedule, such as the Critical Area Designation permit and additional correction review cycles for construction permits. RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends that the Committee forward this item to the Committee of the Whole, along with the proposed Permitting Process Improvement resolution, for consideration and approval at the subsequent Regular Meeting. ATTACHMENTS • Draft Permit Fee Schedule Update 2 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF TUKWILA, WASHIINGTON, AMENDING RESOLUTION NO. 2105; TO UPDATE PERMIT TYPES AND FEES IN ALIGNMENT WITH RECENT CHANGES TO THE TUKWILA MUNICIPAL CODE. WHEREAS, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 2105 in 2024, establishing the City's current consolidated permit fee schedule; and WHEREAS, the City intends to update permit fees on an annual basis, with any increases tied to growth in City expenses for providing permit services; and WHEREAS, the City is authorized by RCW 82.02.020 to recover the City's costs for reviewing and processing permit applications; and WHEREAS, repeated correction cycles for permit applications create additional staff workload beyond what is covered by standard intake and review fees, and recovering costs for these cycles ensures a fair allocation of staff resources and promotes higher -quality submittals; and WHEREAS, certain sections of Title 18, "Zoning" were updated earlier this year to establish a new "Critical Areas Designation" permit process; and WHEREAS, the City's Land Use Fee Schedule needs to be updated to reflect these changes. NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF TUKWILA, WASHINGTON, HEREBY RESOLVES AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. Resolution No. 2105 is hereby amended to revise Section 7, "Land Use Fee Schedule," of the Consolidated Permit Fee Schedule under the section "Environmental Review" to add the following row: 2025 Legislation: DCD Update - Citywide Consolidated Fee Schedule Version: 10/7/25 Staff: M. Baker Page 1 of 3 3 , II Ito Permit I\ , II,:. Type ,II oh re ,„;,Yll. a d Subtypes Hearing Examiner 111 Fee 2025 FEES . I' :G. 2026 Fees 11, (. n +.. Permit Type n.. State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) SEPA Checklist $2,510.64 $2,616.09 SEPA - EIS $4,396.89 $4,581.56 SEPA - Planned Action $864.80 $901.12 SEPA - Addendum $864.80 $901.12 SEPA Exemption Letter $514.53 $536.14 Environmentally Critical Areas Critical Areas Deviation, Buffer Reduction $2,198.44 $2,290.78 2 • Reduced fee for owner occupied properties, no associated short plat $864.80 $901.12 2 Critical Areas Reasonable Use Exception +HE $4,396.89 $4,581.56 3 Environmentally Critical Area Master Plan Overlay +HE $7,330.68 $7,638.57 3 Section 2. Resolution No. 2105 is hereby amended to revise Section 13, "Other Inspections and Fees," of the Consolidated Permit Fee Schedule to add the following row: OTHER INSPECTIONS AND FEES Inspections outside of normal business hours (four hour minimum charge) $124 per hour Re -inspection fee (minimum charge one hour) $120 per hour Inspection for which no fee is specifically indicated —investigations or safety inspections $120 per hour Additional plan review required by changes, additions, or revisions to approved plans $120 per hour (IuYll"Inudion rev iieuh/fee ° , „I „ed for each ,gd 1.11i o n V rev Ill uh,/ a:yh be site a ,e olllld co e;tluYln IIettIe 120 Il er II„Irylur Work commencing before permit issuance shall be subject to an investigation fee equal to 100% of the permit fee. 100% of the permit fee Plan review fee —Mechanical, Plumbing, Fuel Gas Piping and Electrical: The fee for review shall be 25% of the total calculated permit fee. The plan review fee is a separate fee from the permit fee and is required when plans are required in order to document compliance with the code. Work covered prior to inspection or work not ready at the time of inspection may be charged a re -inspection fee of $120. Expired permit final — includes two inspections $160 Expired permit final — each additional inspection $80 Minor residential remodel plan review and permit (projects valued up to $25,000 including building, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing within 1 year) $100 Certificate of Occupancy replacement $120 Permit extension for issued permit- when allowed by code $120 Permit extension for expired permit- when allowed by code $240 2025 Legislation: DCD Update - Citywide Consolidated Fee Schedule Version: 10/7/25 Staff: M. Baker Page 2 of 3 4 Section 3. Effective Date. This resolution and the fee schedules contained shall be effective from the date of this ordinance. PASSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF TUKWILA, WASHINGTON, at a Regular Meeting thereof this day of , 2025. ATTEST/AUTHENTICATED: Andy Youn, CMC, City Clerk Tosh Sharp, Council President APPROVED AS TO FORM BY: Office of the City Attorney 2025 Legislation: DCD Update - Citywide Consolidated Fee Schedule Version: 10/7/25 Staff: M. Baker Filed with the City Clerk: Passed by the City Council: Resolution Number: Page 3 of 3 5