Two Enoch businesses' transportation impact fee reduction requests remain undecided

Two businesses in Enoch city have asked the City Council to lower the transportation impact fees charged for their space. The council discussed Hub Pizza's fee on Aug. 5 and both businesses' fees on Aug. 19 and Sept. 16, 2026, without voting on a reduction. ^[1][2][3]

August discussions

On Aug. 5, the council voted to direct staff to work with engineers on definitions for Hub Pizza's impact fee. City Attorney Justin Wayment said that "impact fees cannot be waived or reduced arbitrarily," according to the minutes. ^[1]

On Aug. 19, City Manager Ryan Robinson said, "I don't think we could reclassify those based on those definitions as anything other than fast food." He said Hub Pizza submitted 2022 data averaging about 76 customers per day. ^[2]

Wayment said that if a business disagrees with a fee, it must "provide us with empirical data," and that if data supports a lower impact the city is "obligated to reduce our impact fees to match what their impact is." He said the fee "needs to be paid up front. And if there's a rebate, then we'd rebate it back." ^[2]

Council Member David Harris said, "I think the study is going to cost more than the impact fee." Council Member Jacob Miner said that if Sunrise Engineering supports a reduced traffic figure, the council would then vote on the fee. ^[2]

The council directed staff to advise the businesses, coordinate with Sunrise Engineering and return with engineer-supported findings. No formal action was taken. ^[2]

The September proposal

The Sept. 16 minutes describe a proposal prepared by Velocity Homes under which Hub Pizza's fee would drop about 81% and Golden Hour Coffee's about 74%. ^[3]

Sunrise Engineering, the city's fee study firm, reviewed the proposal and said more information was needed to justify a reduction of that size, according to the minutes. The minutes say Velocity disputed Sunrise's conclusions. ^[3]

Robinson contacted Watson Engineering and Jones and DeMille Engineering. Watson recommended a 50% floor on any reduction. Jones and DeMille estimated a high-end traffic study would cost about $7,000 and suggested the two businesses could share one for roughly $1,500 to $2,000 combined. ^[3]

The minutes say the property owner or builder paid the transportation impact fees and is passing them to the tenants through the lease. If the council approved a reduction, the city would refund the difference to the landlord. ^[3]

"I don't think you can justify waiving your impact fees," Wayment said. ^[3]

Staff described two paths: the applicants could commission an independent traffic study from a qualified firm, or staff could ask Sunrise to add fee categories so future applicants have an appropriate tier. The council took no vote, and the item is to return once either path produces results. ^[3]

October agenda

The Oct. 7 agenda included an item to set an Oct. 21 public hearing on amending the transportation impact fees in Chapter 6 of the fee schedule. ^[4]

The memo for that item in the packet, petitioned by Velocity Homes, proposes a footnote defining the culinary water equivalent residential unit and a 0.20 unit rate for qualifying multifamily development. It says it updates footnote markers for the transportation and storm drainage tables and "does not change any fee amount shown in the schedule." It does not mention Hub Pizza or Golden Hour Coffee. ^[4]