By Kelly Cannon | [email protected]

The Draper City Council approved changes to the city impact fees during its Oct. 18 meeting. The changes include the fire and police impact fees, as well as modifying the geologic hazard reports. The fees for most categories were dropped significantly, as much as 90 percent. The proposed changes were presented by Bob Wylie, finance director for Draper. 

The changes include lowering fees for both residential and commercial developments that require fire protection systems. For instance, a single family residential fee was lowered from $309.68 per dwelling unit to $71 per dwelling unit. Impact fees for fire protection for an office was lowered from $541.82 per 1,000 square feet to $47 per 1,000 square feet. 

Police facilities impact fees were also lowered for nearly every category. The only category that saw an increase was multifamily residential where the fee went from $70.61 to $75. 

“It’s a pretty dramatic reduction in most of these,” said Councilman Jeff Stenquist. 

Wylie explained some of the fees have been rolled into other categories. For instance, fees for hotels were combined into commercial. 

Changes to the geologic hazard report allow the city to change a fee for any geologic study that has to be done. Wylie said because of the soil composition of most of Draper, geologic studies are almost always required when building property. 

“The building department usually requires (builders) to go out and determine what the soil conditions are. If it’s determined that you have liquefaction or something like that, then a broader study needs to be done,” Wylie said. “These fees can be assessed so we can review the study that is done by their engineers.”

The changes to the consolidated fee schedule was unanimous and was effective Oct. 19.