SENATE BILL REPORT

                            SB 5230

AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS, MARCH 3, 1993

Brief Description:  Extending growth management deadlines.

SPONSORS: Senators Hargrove, Anderson, Roach, Snyder, M. Rasmussen, Haugen, Jesernig, Deccio and Oke

SENATE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Bill No. 5230 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass. 

     Signed by Senators Haugen, Chairman; Drew, Vice Chairman; Loveland, Oke, Owen, and von Reichbauer.

Staff:  Eugene Green (786‑7405)

Hearing Dates: February 3, 1993; March 3, 1993

BACKGROUND:

Under the 1990 Growth Management Act (GMA), counties -- and the cities within those counties -- that meet the following conditions must adopt comprehensive land use plans under the GMA on or before July 1, 1993:

-- A county that has a population of 50,000 or more and has had a population increase of more than 10 percent in the previous ten years; or

-- Any other county, regardless of population size, in which the population has increased by more than 20 percent in the previous ten years.

Any county or city within that county that has been required to plan under the GMA since sometime after its passage or any county or city within that county that has opted under the provisions of the GMA must adopt a comprehensive plan within three years of coming under the provisions of the GMA.

A number of counties and cities are not going to meet these statutory deadlines.

SUMMARY:

Any county or city within that county that was required to plan under the Growth Management Act since its passage may delay the adoption of its comprehensive plan from July 1, 1993 to July 1, 1996.

EFFECT OF PROPOSED SUBSTITUTE:

The dates by which some of the actions under the Growth Management Act are required to have been taken for the initial group of counties, cities, and towns that plan under all the requirements of the Growth Management Act are clarified and in certain instances extended.

The deadline by which the counties, cities, and towns that were initially required to plan under all the requirements of the Growth Management Act are required to have adopted their comprehensive plans is extended by one year.  For the counties, cities, and towns that initially were required to plan under the Growth Management Act, this extends the deadline for adopting a comprehensive plan to July 1, 1994.  Each other county, city, and town that plans under the Growth Management Act must adopt a comprehensive plan within four years of the date it becomes subject to these requirements.

Development regulations implementing the comprehensive plan must be adopted at the same time comprehensive plans are adopted, but a jurisdiction may obtain an additional six months extension by sending a letter to the Department of Community Development indicating its need for the time extension.

The deadline by which urban growth areas must be designated is separated from the requirement for adopting the full comprehensive plan and extended by three months.  Counties that were initially required to plan under the Growth Management Act must designate urban growth areas by October 1, 1993.  Each other county must designate and implement urban growth areas within three years and three months of the date it became subject to all the requirements of the Growth Management Act.  Once an urban growth area is designated, counties and cities may only issue permits that are consistent with the urban growth areas.

A county that begins planning under all the requirements of the Growth Management Act after June 1, 1991, must adopt a countywide planning policy within 14 months of when the county came under the full Growth Management Act planning requirements.

The Governor, without a finding from a growth planning hearings board, may impose sanctions on counties and cities for failing to take required actions under the Growth Management Act by withholding certain moneys that the state distributes to counties, cities, and towns.

The restriction on a county, city, or town not imposing impact fees after July 1, 1993, if the county, city, or town had not adopted its comprehensive plan under the Growth Management Act is deleted and replaced with the restriction that a county, city, or town cannot impose impact fees after the date it is required to have adopted its comprehensive plan unless it has actually adopted its comprehensive plan.

Appropriation:  none

Revenue:  none

Fiscal Note:  none requested

Effective Date:  June 1, 1993

TESTIMONY FOR (on substitute):  None

TESTIMONY AGAINST (on substitute):  None

TESTIFIED (on substitute):  No one