After months of wrangling about details, but not the principle, the City Council appears poised to enact new fire department impact fees to be paid by builders.
The Planning and Development Committee last week adjusted the proposed fees and sent them back to the full council, which will vote on them Tuesday.
The committee proposed raising fees on each newly constructed apartment unit to $250 from $150, unless the apartments have fire-suppression sprinklers, in which case the fee would remain $150. The fee on each new house would be $250.
Aldermen on May 27 balked at approving the fees, saying the fees on apartments, which historically are more prone to fires, should not be less than those for houses.
For every 1,000 square feet of newly constructed non-residential space, the fee would be $150, unless the building has sprinklers, in which case the fee would be $50 for each 1,000 square feet.
The proposed fees are aimed at helping the city recapture the costs of building new fire stations and equipment as the city grows.
