Sandy, Utah

Multi-Facility Impact Fee Study
   

Sandy City, the fourth largest city in Utah, sought assistance in complying with the 1995 Utah Impact Fees Act. Duncan Associates, in association with Fehr & Peers and Bear West, began an impact fee study in 1996 for roads, water, storm drainage, public safety and park facilities. The study determined that Sandy City could assess a substantial new road impact fee to help pay for growth-related improvements identified in its recent transportation master plan. It recommend that the six water service areas with different connection fees be replaced with a single

fee schedule that would apply to all new water customers. A new park fee methodology was proposed that would replace the flat rate per dwelling unit with impact fees that reflect the differential demands associated with single-family, multi-family and mobile home units. As for public safety facilities, the study noted that the City could assess a substantial fire impact fee, but that it would be difficult to justify a significant fee for law enforcement, due to the fact that the new police station was financed with debt that new development will be repaying along with existing development. Fees were adopted in 1997 and updated in 2005.