The Woodland City Council voted Monday night not to approve a proposed increase to school impact fees, leaving the current rates in place for the time being.
The ordinance, which would have raised fees on new residential construction to help fund future school capacity needs, failed on a 2–5 vote during the council’s March 2 meeting. Council members Melissa Doughty and Jason Friend voted in favor of the increase.
The proposal before the council would have increased school impact fees for new housing from the current $5,900 rate for both single-family and multi-family homes. Under the recommendation forwarded by the Woodland Planning Commission, the fee would have increased to $10,545.93 for single-family homes and $13,664.57 for multi-family housing. Accessory dwelling units would have increased to $5,272.97, though one-bedroom units would have remained at the current $2,000 rate under an amendment recommended by the commission.
Impact fees are one-time charges paid by developers when new housing is built. Under Washington state law, the money collected by the city must be passed directly to the local school district and can only be used for capital improvements tied to growth, such as expanding capacity for additional students, including the construction of portables.
According to the district’s 2025-31 Capital Facilities Plan, Woodland is projected to add 418 students over the next six years. Of those, 164 are expected at the elementary level, 94 at middle school and 101 at high school.
The district currently owns 31 portables, 20 of them serving elementary schools. Many have been refurbished to extend their useful life. If growth outpaces permanent building capacity, students may be temporarily housed in additional portables. The district has also identified the eventual need for a fourth elementary school in its capital facilities plan, though a bond would have to pass in order to purchase land and construct.
The issue has been under discussion for several weeks. In January, the council sent the planning commission’s recommendation back for reconsideration, asking for a phased approach rather than implementing the full increase immediately. When the commission revisited the issue on Feb. 19, it voted to return its original proposal with only a minor amendment for one-bedroom accessory dwelling units.
During public testimony Monday night, Woodland property owner Daniel Soare returned to the podium to again raise concerns about how a significant increase in impact fees could affect a planned 23-unit apartment development near a local elementary school. Soare previously told the council the additional costs could ultimately translate into higher rents for tenants.
Before the vote, Councilor Melissa Doughty noted the council had already asked the planning commission to reconsider the proposal twice, and that the body had consistently returned with the same recommendation.
“We asked the planning commission to relook at this … who we have entrusted and we have appointed into those positions, (they) have come back with the same solution to make this fair and adequate for what our city needs and what our schools need,” she said. “I think that at this point we need to call the question and just see where the city council is because we have now asked them twice and they've come back with the same recommendation.”
Councilor Douglas Freimarck, who argued in favor of approving the planning commission’s previous recommendations in prior meetings, raised concerns about the way impact fees are distributed across the Woodland School District, noting that a significant share of students live outside city limits, close to 50% according to Community Development Director Travis Goddard. Cowlitz County, a non-GMA (Growth Management Act) district, does not collect impact fees.
Councilor Brittny Michaelson said she remained uneasy about the scale of the increase and the formula used to calculate the new fee amounts.
“I just had some concerns about the formula, too. I didn't feel that it was too applicable to our district or community and I didn't feel comfortable passing (this) through. I'm not against impact fees … We just can't decide what that (rate) is going to be. Unfortunately, that is up to the school board. However, I just don't feel comfortable with such an insane increase,” Michaelson said.
With the ordinance failing to gain majority support, school impact fees in Woodland will remain at their current levels unless the council takes up the issue in the future.
