H-1381

AN ACT Relating to growth strategies; amending RCW 36.70A.030, 36.70A.020, and 36.70A.070; and creating a new section.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1. RCW 36.70A.030 and 1990 1st ex.s. c 17 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:

DEFINITIONS. Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter.

(1) "Adjacent jurisdictions" include contiguous counties, cities, and federally recognized Indian tribes.

(2) "Adopt a comprehensive land use plan" means to enact a new comprehensive land use plan or to update an existing comprehensive land use plan.

((~~(2)~~)) (3) "Agricultural land" means land primarily devoted to the commercial production of horticultural, viticultural, floricultural, dairy, apiary, vegetable, or animal products or of berries, grain, hay, straw, turf, seed, Christmas trees not subject to the excise tax imposed by RCW 84.33.100 through 84.33.140, or livestock, and that has long-term commercial significance for agricultural production.

((~~(3)~~)) (4) "Board" means the growth management board established to review plans and regulations established under this chapter.

(5) "City" means any city or town, including a code city.

((~~(4)~~)) (6) "Committee" means the interagency committee for outdoor recreation established under chapter 43.99 RCW.

(7) "Comprehensive land use plan," "comprehensive plan," or "plan" means a generalized coordinated land use policy statement of the governing body of a county or city that is adopted pursuant to this chapter.

((~~(5)~~)) (8) "Critical areas" include the following areas and ecosystems: (a) Wetlands; (b) areas with a critical recharging effect on aquifers used for potable water; (c) critical fish and wildlife habitat ((~~conservation areas~~)); (d) frequently flooded areas; and (e) geologically hazardous areas.

((~~(6)~~)) (9) "Department" means the department of community development.

((~~(7)~~)) (10) "Development regulations" means any controls placed on development or land use activities by a county or city, including, but not limited to, zoning ordinances, official controls, planned unit development ordinances, subdivision ordinances, and binding site plan ordinances.

((~~(8)~~)) (11) "Forest land" means land primarily useful for growing trees, including Christmas trees subject to the excise tax imposed under RCW 84.33.100 through 84.33.140, for commercial purposes, and that has long-term commercial significance for growing trees commercially.

((~~(9)~~)) (12) "Geologically hazardous areas" means areas that because of their susceptibility to erosion, sliding, earthquake, or other geological events, are not suited to the siting of commercial, residential, or industrial development consistent with public health or safety concerns.

((~~(10)~~)) (13) "Long-term commercial significance" includes the growing capacity, productivity, and soil composition of the land for long-term commercial production, in consideration with the land's proximity to population areas, and the possibility of more intense uses of the land.

((~~(11)~~)) (14) "Mineral((s)) resource lands" include those lands identified and devoted to the long-term commercial extraction of gravel, sand, rock, and valuable metallic substances.

(15) "Natural resource lands" means agricultural lands, forest lands, and mineral resource lands.

(16) "New community" means a comprehensive development providing for a mixture of land uses which includes the following: (a) A mix of jobs, housing, and public facilities needed for a self-contained community; (b) preservation of open spaces within and around the community; (c) an internal and external transportation system supportive of pedestrian access and mass transit; (d) the new infrastructure needed to serve the proposed community; and (e) the mitigation of off-site impacts.

(17) "Open space lands" include land areas, the protection of which would: (a) Conserve and enhance scenic, or viewshed resources; (b) provide scenic amenities and community identity within and between areas of urban development; (c) protect physical and/or visual buffers within and between areas of urban and rural development, or along transportation corridors; (d) protect lakes, rivers, streams, watersheds, or water supply; (e) promote conservation of critical areas, natural resource lands, soils, geologically hazardous areas, or tidal marshes, beaches, or other shoreline areas; (f) enhance the value to the public of abutting or neighboring parks, forests, wildlife habitat, trails, or other open space; (g) enhance visual enjoyment and recreation opportunities, including public access to shoreline areas; (h) protect natural areas and environmental features with significant educational, scientific, wildlife habitat, historic, or scenic value; or (i) retain in its natural state tracts of land not less than five acres situated in an urban environment.

((~~(12)~~)) (18) "Public facilities" include streets, roads, highways, sidewalks, street and road lighting systems, traffic signals, domestic water systems, storm and sanitary sewer systems, parks and recreational facilities, and schools.

((~~(13)~~)) (19) "Public services" include fire protection and suppression, law enforcement, public health, education, recreation, environmental protection, and other governmental services.

(20) "Region" means one or more counties and the cities within the county or counties, including, as a local option, multicounty regions.

(21) "Special district" means every municipal and quasi-municipal corporation other than a county or city. Special districts shall include, but are not limited to: Water districts, sewer districts, public transportation benefit areas, fire protection districts, port districts, library districts, school districts, public utility districts, county park and recreation service areas, flood control zone districts, irrigation districts, diking districts, and drainage improvement districts.

(22) "State agencies" means all departments, boards, commissions, institutions of higher education, and offices of state government, except those in the legislative or judicial branches, except to the extent otherwise required by law.

((~~(14)~~)) (23) "Urban growth" refers to growth that makes intensive use of land for the location of buildings, structures, and impermeable surfaces to such a degree as to be incompatible with the primary use of such land for the production of food, other agricultural products, or fiber, or the extraction of mineral resources. When allowed to spread over wide areas, urban growth typically requires urban governmental services. "Characterized by urban growth" refers to land having urban growth located on it, or to land located in relationship to an area with urban growth on it as to be appropriate for urban growth.

((~~(15)~~)) (24) "Urban growth areas" means those areas designated by a county pursuant to RCW 36.70A.110.

((~~(16)~~)) (25) "Urban governmental services" include those governmental services historically and typically delivered by cities, and include storm and sanitary sewer systems, domestic water systems, street cleaning services, fire and police protection services, public transit services, and other public utilities associated with urban areas and normally not associated with nonurban areas.

((~~(17)~~)) (26) "Wetland" or "wetlands" means areas that are inundated or saturated by surface water or ground water at a frequency and duration sufficient to support, and that under normal circumstances do support, a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions. Wetlands generally include swamps, marshes, bogs, and similar areas. Wetlands do not include those artificial wetlands intentionally created from nonwetland sites, including, but not limited to, irrigation and drainage ditches, grass-lined swales, canals, detention facilities, wastewater treatment facilities, farm ponds, and landscape amenities. However, wetlands may include those artificial wetlands intentionally created from nonwetland areas created to mitigate conversion of wetlands, if permitted by the county or city.

PART I

PLANNING GOALS

Sec. 2. RCW 36.70A.020 and 1990 1st ex.s. c 17 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

PLANNING GOALS. The following goals are adopted to guide the development and adoption of comprehensive plans and development regulations of those counties and cities that are required or choose to plan under RCW 36.70A.040. The following goals are not listed in order of priority and shall be used ((~~exclusively~~)) for the purpose of guiding the development of comprehensive plans and development regulations. However, plans, regulations, and actions, including expenditures of state-appropriated funds, of state agencies, counties, and cities required or choosing to plan, and special districts shall conform to and support these goals:

(1) Urban growth areas. ((~~Encourage~~)) Urban development shall occur in urban growth areas where adequate public facilities and services exist or can be provided in an efficient manner.

Urban growth areas should be compact, have concentrated employment centers, and provide opportunities for people to live in a variety of housing types close to where they work. Plans should ensure an adequate supply of land for projected jobs considering the nature and diversity of economic activity and for a variety of housing types. Development densities should be sufficient to: (a) Protect open space, natural features and parks, natural resource lands and critical areas within and outside of urban growth areas; (b) promote affordable housing; and (c) promote transit. Large land areas characterized by significant natural limitations such as steep slopes, seismic hazard areas, flood plains, and wetlands should not be designated for urban growth.

New development should be designed to respect the planned and existing character of neighborhoods. Open spaces and natural features should be preserved within urban areas.

(2) Reduce sprawl. Reduce the inappropriate conversion of undeveloped land into sprawling, low-density development.

(3) Transportation. ((~~Encourage~~)) Develop efficient multimodal transportation systems that are based on regional priorities and coordinated with county and city comprehensive plans. Provide alternatives to single-occupant automobile travel in congested urban areas. Housing should be of sufficient density and employment centers should be concentrated to enable greater efficiency and affordability of transit service.

(4) Housing. Encourage ((~~the availability of~~)) and participate in making available affordable housing ((to)) for all economic segments of the population of this state, promote a variety of residential densities and housing types, ((~~and~~)) encourage preservation of existing housing stock, promote the state and federal fair housing goals, and provide for a fair share of housing needs.

(5) Economic development. Encourage economic development throughout the state that is consistent with adopted comprehensive plans, promote economic opportunity for all citizens of this state, especially for unemployed and for disadvantaged persons, build a network of strong regional economies, identify and focus assistance on priority economic development areas where there is a need for growth and where there is the realistic capacity and broad local support for such growth, and encourage growth in areas experiencing insufficient economic growth, all within the capacities of the state's natural resources, public services, and public facilities.

(6) Property rights. Private property shall not be taken for public use without just compensation having been made. The property rights of landowners shall be protected from arbitrary and discriminatory actions.

(7) Permits. Applications for both state and local government permits should be processed in a timely and fair manner to ensure predictability.

(8) Natural resource industries. Maintain and enhance natural resource-based industries, including productive timber, agricultural, and fisheries industries. Encourage the conservation of productive forest lands and productive agricultural lands, and discourage incompatible uses.

(9) Open space and recreation. ((~~Encourage the retention of open space and development of recreational opportunities, conserve fish and wildlife habitat, increase access to natural resource lands and water, and develop parks.~~)) Protect open space and where possible link open space into regional and state-wide networks. Permanent open space networks should separate neighboring cities, where possible, and define distinct urban growth areas to prevent their merging into large continuous urban areas. Open space should be used to: Protect fish and wildlife habitat; protect environmentally sensitive land and water areas; provide park and outdoor recreational opportunities; protect scenic areas and viewsheds; accommodate nonmotorized recreational corridors and trails; and protect views and vistas within and around cities.

(10) Environment. Protect the environment and enhance the state's high quality of life, including air and water quality, and the availability of water.

(11) Citizen participation and coordination. ((~~Encourage~~)) Ensure the involvement of citizens in the planning process and ensure coordination between communities and jurisdictions to reconcile conflicts.

(12) Public facilities and services. Ensure that those public facilities and services necessary to support development shall be adequate to serve the development at the time the development is available for occupancy and use without decreasing current service levels below locally established minimum standards.

(13) Historic preservation. Identify and encourage the preservation of lands, sites, and structures, that have historical or archaeological significance.

(14) Fair share. Ensure the siting of regional and state public facilities, so that each county and its cities accepts their fair share of public facilities and no community is overburdened.

(15) Water Resources. Land use planning and permit decisions that will both protect water and create demand for water must be compatible with water resource plans. New growth must be related to water availability. Each county and its cities must integrate water resource planning for consumptive and nonconsumptive uses into its land use plan. Water is key for fish, wildlife, domestic use, industrial use, power, agriculture, aesthetics, and recreation.

PART II

LOCAL PLANNING

Sec. 3. RCW 36.70A.070 and 1990 1st ex.s. c 17 s 7 are each amended to read as follows:

COMPREHENSIVE PLANS--MANDATORY ELEMENTS. The comprehensive plan of a county or city that is required or chooses to plan under RCW 36.70A.040 shall consist of a map or maps, and descriptive text covering objectives, principles, and standards used to develop the comprehensive plan. The plan shall be an internally consistent document and all elements shall be consistent with the future land use map. A comprehensive plan shall be adopted and amended with public participation as provided in RCW 36.70A.140.

Each comprehensive plan shall include a plan, scheme, or design for each of the following:

(1) A land use element designating the proposed general distribution and general location and extent of the uses of land, where appropriate, for agriculture, timber production, housing, commerce, industry, recreation, open spaces, public utilities, public facilities, and other land uses. The land use element shall provide for sufficient developable land and densities for a range of housing types. The land use element shall include population densities, building intensities, and estimates of future population growth. The land use element shall include designation of natural resource lands and lands for outdoor recreation as provided in RCW 36.70A.060. Each county shall include urban growth areas as established in RCW 36.70A.110 in its comprehensive land use plan. The land use element shall provide for protection of the quality and quantity of ground and surface water used for public water supplies and shall recognize that water availability and quality are key factors in determining the extent, location, distribution, and intensity of land uses. Where applicable, the land use element shall review drainage, flooding, and storm water run-off in the area and nearby jurisdictions and provide guidance for corrective actions to mitigate or cleanse those discharges that pollute waters of the state, including Puget Sound or waters entering Puget Sound.

(2) A housing element recognizing the vitality and character of established residential neighborhoods that: (a) Includes an inventory and analysis of existing and projected housing needs; (b) includes a statement of goals, policies, and objectives for the preservation, improvement, and development of housing and for meeting fair share housing obligations within the county and/or jurisdictions; (c) identifies sufficient land and densities for housing; (d) identifies the existing and projected fair share accommodation of low-income moderate-income housing, including, but not limited to, government-assisted housing, housing for low-income families, manufactured housing, multifamily housing, and group homes and foster care facilities; ((~~and (d)~~)) (e) makes adequate provisions for existing and projected needs of all economic segments of the community; (f) promotes housing that is affordable; and (g) minimizes the displacement of residents from housing.

(3) A capital facilities plan element consisting of: (a) An inventory of existing capital facilities owned by public entities, showing the locations and capacities of the capital facilities; (b) a forecast of the future needs for such capital facilities; (c) the proposed locations and capacities of expanded or new capital facilities; (d) at least a six-year plan that will finance such capital facilities within projected funding capacities and clearly identifies sources of public money for such purposes; and (e) a requirement to reassess the land use element if probable funding falls short of meeting existing needs and to ensure that the land use element, capital facilities plan element, and financing plan within the capital facilities plan element are coordinated and consistent.

(4) A utilities element consisting of the general location, proposed location, and capacity of all existing and proposed utilities, including, but not limited to, electrical lines, telecommunication lines, and natural gas lines.

(5) Counties shall include a rural element including lands that

are not designated for urban growth, agriculture, forest, or mineral resources. The rural element shall permit land uses that are compatible with the rural character of such lands and provide for a variety of rural densities and do not foster urban growth.

(6) A transportation element that implements, and is consistent with, the land use element. The transportation element shall include the following subelements:

(a) Land use assumptions used in estimating travel;

(b) Facilities and services needs, including:

(i) An inventory of air, water, and land transportation facilities and services, including transit alignments, to define existing capital facilities and travel levels as a basis for future planning;

(ii) Level of service standards for all arterials and transit routes to serve as a gauge to judge performance of the system. These standards should be regionally coordinated;

(iii) Specific actions and requirements for bringing into compliance any facilities or services that are below an established level of service standard;

(iv) Forecasts of traffic for at least ten years based on the adopted land use plan to provide information on the location, timing, and capacity needs of future growth;

(v) Identification of system expansion needs and transportation system management needs to meet current and future demands;

(i) An analysis of funding capability to judge needs against probable funding resources;

(ii) A multiyear financing plan based on the needs identified in the comprehensive plan, the appropriate parts of which shall serve as the basis for the six-year street, road, or transit program required by RCW 35.77.010 for cities, RCW 36.81.121 for counties, and RCW 35.58.2795 for public transportation systems;

(iii) If probable funding falls short of meeting identified needs, a discussion of how additional funding will be raised, or how land use assumptions will be reassessed to ensure that level of service standards will be met;

(d) Intergovernmental coordination efforts, including an assessment of the impacts of the transportation plan and land use assumptions on the transportation systems of adjacent jurisdictions;

(e) Demand-management strategies.

After adoption of the comprehensive plan by jurisdictions required to plan or who choose to plan under RCW 36.70A.040, local jurisdictions must adopt and enforce ordinances which prohibit development approval if the development causes the level of service on a transportation facility to decline below the standards adopted in the transportation element of the comprehensive plan, unless transportation improvements or strategies to accommodate the impacts of development are made concurrent with the development. These strategies may include increased public transportation service, ride sharing programs, demand management, and other transportation systems management strategies. For the purposes of this subsection (6) "concurrent with the development" shall mean that improvements or strategies are in place at the time of development, or that a financial commitment is in place to complete the improvements or strategies within six years.

The transportation element described in this subsection, and the six-year plans required by RCW 35.77.010 for cities, RCW 36.81.121 for counties, and RCW 35.58.2795 for public transportation systems, must be consistent.

(7) A design element that enables communities to harmoniously fit new development with planned or existing community character and vision.

(8) An environmental management element that minimizes development and growth impacts on the environment and enhances the quality of air, water, and land resources.

(9) An open space and outdoor recreation element that provides for local and regional parks, outdoor recreation facilities, trails, resource conservation, natural vistas, and open space.

(10) An annexation element for cities and incorporation element for counties to clearly delineate a local government service delivery plan.

(11) A fair share element for siting state and regional public facilities.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. HEADINGS. Part and section headings as used in this act do not constitute any part of the law.