Let’s wait, but not for long | IN OUR OPINION

Published 12:12 pm Sunday, September 6, 2015

Wouldn’t it be great if growth paid for itself?

If the total and true costs of new development were borne by those building new subdivisions, apartment complexes and shopping centers?

Studies through the years have shown that’s not the case, however, and that the financial burden stemming from new development — more cars on the road, greater demands for city services, police and fire protection — are subsidized in part by existing residents.

The Bainbridge Island City Council is finally taking long-awaited steps to balance that equation, however. The council is currently considering a new fee schedule that would assess “traffic impact fees” on developers who want to construct new homes, commercial buildings and other projects. The fees would be tacked onto the permit costs for everything from new gas stations to doctor’s offices, to banks, craft stores, schools and parks.

While the goal of the effort is laudable, and overdue, we encourage the city to not hastily approve the new fees despite the impatience of some who have waited so long for the city to take action.

For us, the notion of fairness comes first.

The city currently plans to adopt the new fees and send a bill to any developer who already has their project approved by the city, but are still waiting for a building permit to be issued.

The city should rethink this approach.

Though the city can rightfully say it’s within the law — approved projects enjoy no “vesting” when it comes to impact fees and get no grandfatherly protection for their pre-approved status — such an approach is not the right thing to do.

Developers who have approved projects have already run the daunting gauntlet of the permit approval process at city hall. And to gain city approval, many have agreed to cover the costs of expensive add-ons suggested by the city to help mitigate the possible impacts of their projects: new public-use trails, bike racks, bus stops, landscaping screens; the list goes on and on.

Adding unexpected costs to projects that have already been green-lighted may slightly appease the slow-growth and pull-up-the-drawbridge crowds, but it’s really a case of the city changing the rules and moving the goal posts.

The city had earlier thought of starting the new fee regime on Oct. 1. Instead, pushing the inception date back to April 1 of next year will give some slight relief to those who thought their days at the planning counter had already passed by.

Bainbridge has waited more than 10 years for traffic impact fees. A delay of six months or so seems an acceptable compromise.