19.04.010 - FINDINGS AND AUTHORITY
The Bellingham City Council hereby finds and declares that: A. In order to meet development requirements, maintain park standards and continue to promote and protect the public health, safety, and welfare in the face of a growing population, the City of Bellingham must expand its park and open space system. B. The imposition of impact fees is a preferred method of ensuring that (1) adequate parks and recreational facilities are available to serve new growth and development, and (2) such new growth and development should be required to pay a proportionate share of the costs of new facilities necessary to serve such increased growth. C. Each type of land development described in this chapter will create demand for the acquisition or expansion of parks and the construction of recreational facilities and other park improvements. D. The fees established in Section 19.04.070 are derived from, based upon, and do not exceed the costs of providing additional park and park improvements necessitated by the new land developments for which the fees are levied. E. This chapter is adopted pursuant to the authority granted to the City under the Growth Management Act (RCW 36.70A) and RCW 82.02 as a means of mitigating residential development's impacts upon the parks and recreational facilities in the City. [Ord. 2006-02-012]
