FERNDALE - The City Council on Monday, July 16, extended a program that allows residential builders to pay only half of certain impact and connection fees up front, with the rest coming due after the projects are built. The program, begun in March 2011 to encourage development, was set to expire this month.

The Community Development Department had no evidence the new program had increased residential growth, but developers said they had not been aware of the program. It applies to traffic and park impact fees; and sewer, water and stormwater hookup fees.

There was a push on the council to make the program permanent, but a majority preferred an expiration date of Dec. 31, 2015. The vote to set a deadline rather than making the program permanent was 4 to 3, with council members Brent Goodrich, Jon Mutchler and Lloyd Zimmerman favoring no end date.

Reach RALPH SCHWARTZ at ralph.schwartz@bellinghamherald.com or call 715-2261.