A satellite view of Portsmouth. Image courtesy of Google Maps.

A Portsmouth city councilor thinks the city should start charging impact fees for new developments in the city.

Councilor Esther Kennedy says the proposal is necessary to improve city services to match new demands on them.

The idea originated with Kennedy’s constituents, the Portsmouth Herald reports, who were worried things like road repair, sewer upgrades and additional police and fire department resources would be needed to accommodate more construction.

Mayor Rick Becksted has been promoting a similar idea for some time now. When asked whether he feared the fees would drive up housing costs, Becksted told the paper most of the development Portsmouth has seen is out of reach for many, and that the city could waive the fees for below-market-rate projects.