Title: An act relating to growth management planning to ensure sufficient land and densities available to accommodate growth.

Brief Description: Planning to ensure sufficient land and densities available to accommodate growth.

Sponsors: Senators Tom, Delvin, Kline and Kilmer.

Brief History:

Committee Activity: Government Operations & Elections: 2/04/08, 2/05/08 [DPS, w/oRec].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS & ELECTIONS

Majority Report: That Substitute Senate Bill No. 6727 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.Signed by Senators Fairley, Chair; Oemig, Vice Chair; Kline, McDermott and Pridemore.

Minority Report: That it be referred without recommendation.Signed by Senator Roach, Ranking Minority Member.

Staff: Khalia Gibson (786-7460)

Background: The Growth Management Act (GMA) includes 13 goals to guide the developments and adoption of comprehensive plans and development of regulations for jurisdictions planning under the GMA.

Jurisdictions planning under the GMA must adopt internally consistent comprehensive land use plans, which are generalized, coordinated land use policy statements of the governing body. Comprehensive plans must satisfy requirements for specified elements, each of which is a subset of a comprehensive plan.

There are currently eight elements to be addressed in comprehensive plans: a land use element; a housing element; a capital facilities plan element; a utilities element; a rural element; a transportation element; and a park and recreation element.

Any new or amended elements are to be adopted concurrent with the scheduled update for the planning jurisdiction. Funds sufficient to cover applicable local government costs must be appropriated and distributed by the state to local governments when new or amended elements are required.

Summary of Bill: The bill as referred to committee was not considered.

SUMMARY OF BILL (Recommended Substitute): Changes are made to the land use element of comprehensive plans to require the designation of a sufficient quantity of land necessary for residential, commercial, and industrial uses.

The housing element of a comprehensive plan must include an inventory and analysis of existing and projected housing needs that identify the number of housing units necessary to accommodate projected growth. The housing element must also identify a sufficient quantity of land suitable for meeting the existing and projected housing needs which are identified.

The transportation element financing plan requirement is altered to coordinate with the ten year improvement program required by RCW 47.05.030.

Comprehensive plans may provide for innovative land use management techniques regarding mixed use development and accessory dwelling units.

A county, and one or more of its cities, or two or more counties sharing a common border and their cities, may adopt countywide planning policies or multi-county planning policies establishing subregions in order to address housing and employment markets that cross jurisdictional boundaries.

Counties planning under the GMA with populations of at least 175,000 must: consult and cooperate with each city within an urban growth area (UGA) prior to modifications to the UGA; adopt or amend development regulations for new developments in unincorporated territory within a UGA that is entirely surrounded by incorporated territory. These regulations must be compliant with the adjacent city from which it receives its only vehicular service access; and consult with UGA cities to adopt development regulations for unincorporated territory.

The original bill did not exclude unincorporated areas which are surrounded by state waters, and did not require consistency with the area from which vehicular access is received.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Not requested.

Committee/Commission/Task Force Created: No.

Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony on Substitute Bill: PRO: This bill will strengthen the foundation that cities and counties need to finalize their comprehensive plans. This is helping to gear up for the next round of updates under the GMA for central Puget Sound in 2011. GMA language is fine tuned by providing direction to promote cities and counties to collaborate. For unincorporated areas surrounded by incorporated areas, there is no law that currently states the county cannot issue permits. Currently the county would not have to coordinate with the surrounding city before planning, and this bill requires that coordination.

Persons Testifying: PRO: Jeanette McKague, Washington Realtors; Dave Williams, Association of Washington Cities; Scott MacColl, City of Shoreline.