Title
Staff Report to Follow-Up Committee's Previous Discussion of Planning Appeal Fees
Staffreport
SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Planning appeal fees are currently structured as direct cost, deposit-based fees that reimburse the City for hourly administrative processing costs. Following comments from the City Council's Rules Committee at its April 23, 2018 meeting, staff recommends the Appeal fee for non-applicants be modified to a $500 fixed fee. As per the Rules Committee's consensus reached at its April 23rd meeting, the appeal fee for applicants would be reduced by half to a $2,500 deposit. Staff recommends that the Rules Committee forward this proposal for further City Council consideration.
BACKGROUND
Following public concerns expressed during the Parrott Street Apartments appeal on March 19, 2018 (APL18-001), the City Council directed the Rules Committee to review the cost of filing an appeal. The City Council's Rules Committee met to discuss appeal fees for planning projects at its April 23, 2018 meeting. At the meeting, staff recommended reducing the current appeal fee deposit by half from $5,000 to $2,500. The members agreed with staff's recommended deposit for applicants but felt that there should be a separate, reduced fixed fee for non-applicants. The Rules Committee directed staff to return with a proposal for a reasonable fixed fee for non-applicants.
The current appeal fee requires a $5,300 deposit to file an appeal, including a non-refundable 6% technology fee applied to all applications. Appeals heard by the City Council pay an additional non-refundable $534 filing fee to the City Clerk.
Appeal fees are currently a direct cost where the appellant pays a deposit from which the City deducts its hourly costs of processing the appeal for review and decision by the respective appeal hearing body. Following the outcome of a hearing body's decision, the appellant either receives a refund of the remaining balance or a bill if an outstanding amoun...
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