H-1503.1  _______________________________________________

                          HOUSE BILL 1824

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      54th Legislature     1995 Regular Session

By Representatives Goldsmith, Reams, Honeyford, Koster and Thompson

Read first time 02/10/95.  Referred to Committee on Government Operations.

Authorizing counties to plan for more growth than the level of growth projected by the office of financial management.

    AN ACT Relating to planning for growth; and amending RCW 36.70A.110.

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

    Sec. 1.  RCW 36.70A.110 and 1994 c 249 s 27 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) Each county that is required or chooses to plan under RCW 36.70A.040 shall designate an urban growth area or areas within which urban growth shall be encouraged and outside of which growth can occur only if it is not urban in nature.  Each city that is located in such a county shall be included within an urban growth area.  An urban growth area may include more than a single city.  An urban growth area may include territory that is located outside of a city only if such territory already is characterized by urban growth or is adjacent to territory already characterized by urban growth.

    (2) ((Based upon the population growth management planning population projection made for the county by the office of financial management,)) The urban growth areas in the county shall include areas and densities sufficient to permit at a minimum the urban growth that is projected to occur in the county for the succeeding twenty-year period by the office of financial management.  Nothing in this chapter is intended to prohibit counties and cities from planning for more growth than projected by the office of financial management.  Each urban growth area shall permit urban densities and shall include greenbelt and open space areas.  Within one year of July 1, 1990, each county that as of June 1, 1991, was required or chose to plan under RCW 36.70A.040, shall begin consulting with each city located within its boundaries and each city shall propose the location of an urban growth area.  Within sixty days of the date the county legislative authority of a county adopts its resolution of intention or of certification by the office of financial management, all other counties that are required or choose to plan under RCW 36.70A.040 shall begin this consultation with each city located within its boundaries.  The county shall attempt to reach agreement with each city on the location of an urban growth area within which the city is located.  If such an agreement is not reached with each city located within the urban growth area, the county shall justify in writing why it so designated the area an urban growth area.  A city may object formally with the department over the designation of the urban growth area within which it is located.  Where appropriate, the department shall attempt to resolve the conflicts, including the use of mediation services.

    (3) Urban growth should be located first in areas already characterized by urban growth that have existing public facility and service capacities to serve such development, and second in areas already characterized by urban growth that will be served by a combination of both existing public facilities and services and any additional needed public facilities and services that are provided by either public or private sources.  Further, it is appropriate that urban government services be provided by cities, and urban government services should not be provided in rural areas.

    (4) On or before October 1, 1993, each county that was initially required to plan under RCW 36.70A.040(1) shall adopt development regulations designating interim urban growth areas under this chapter.  Within three years and three months of the date the county legislative authority of a county adopts its resolution of intention or of certification by the office of financial management, all other counties that are required or choose to plan under RCW 36.70A.040 shall adopt development regulations designating interim urban growth areas under this chapter.  Adoption of the interim urban growth areas may only occur after public notice; public hearing; and compliance with the state environmental policy act, chapter 43.21C RCW, and RCW 36.70A.110.  Such action may be appealed to the appropriate growth management hearings board under RCW 36.70A.280.  Final urban growth areas shall be adopted at the time of comprehensive plan adoption under this chapter.

    (5) Each county shall include designations of urban growth areas in its comprehensive plan.

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