Snohomish may hike road fee for new developments In Snohomish County, officials are pondering whether to increase the road fees they collect on new homes and commercial buildings in unincorporated areas. The county for years has collected millions of dollars in fees from developers and used the money to help build the roads that support all of those new houses, apartment complexes, shopping centers and office buildings. The Snohomish County Planning Commission this week held a public hearing on whether to increase the road fees, in place since 1995. The decision won't be easy. Already, the county's fees are higher than several other local governments, including King County, Everett and Bellevue.
Cost estimates are harder to determine for commercial projects.
The county charges developers according to how many new motorists are projected to drive to the completed project. The fee quickly adds up for commercial developers. For example, a new store in one part of the county inside the urban growth boundary could attract about 350 motorists a day. Whether the planning commission and, ultimately, the Snohomish County Council, vote to increase the road fee is anybody's guess. However, the public works report, in its conclusion, raises only the issue of whether to increase the fees, not lower them.