FINAL BILL REPORT

                  ESB 5915

                          C 402 L 97

                      Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description:  Allowing counties planning under the growth management act to establish industrial land banks as permissible urban growth outside of an urban growth area.

Sponsors:  Senators Anderson, Hale, Bauer and Stevens.

Senate Committee on Government Operations

House Committee on Government Reform & Land Use

Background:  The Growth Management Act (GMA) was enacted in 1990 and 1991, establishing a variety of requirements for counties and cities.  A few requirements are established for all counties and cities, and additional requirements are established for those counties and cities that are required to plan under all GMA provisions.

Two sets of populations and growth factors are established to determine whether a county, and the cities within such a county, are required to plan under all GMA requirements.

Each county planning under all GMA requirements, in cooperation with the cities located within its boundaries, develops a countywide planning policy to guide the comprehensive plans that the county and those cities develop.  Counties are recognized as being regional governments.  Cities are recognized as the primary providers of urban government services within urban growth areas.

Among other requirements, a county planning under all GMA requirements must designate urban growth areas within the county inside of which urban growth must occur and outside of which urban growth must not occur.  Every city must be included within an urban growth area.  Other areas may be included in an urban growth area if they are already characterized by urban growth or are adjacent to such areas.  The county uses a 20-year population forecast prepared by the Office of Financial Management as the basis for designating its urban growth areas.

A county planing under all GMA requirements must adopt a comprehensive plan with a rural element that includes lands not located within an urban growth area and which have not been designated for agriculture, forest, or mineral resources.  The rural element must permit land uses compatible with the rural character of these lands and must provide for a variety of densities.

Every county and city in the state is required to designate agricultural lands with long-term commercial significance for agriculture, forest lands with long-term commercial production of timber, and mineral resource lands with long-term significance for mineral extraction.  Counties and cities planning under all GMA requirements are required to adopt development regulations assuring the protection of each of these types of designated lands.

Certain counties planning under GMA may establish a process for reviewing and approving proposals to site specific major industrial developments outside urban growth areas.  Major industrial development means a master planned location for a specific business that (a) requires a parcel of land so large that none are available within an urban growth area, or (b) is of a nature requiring a location near agricultural, forest, or mineral resource land.

Summary:  The number of counties which may establish industrial land banks is expanded.  A county planning under GMA that has a population greater than 140,000 and is adjacent to another country may establish a process for designating a Abank@ of no more than two master planned locations for major industrial activity outside urban growth areas.  Major industrial development must be in proximity to transportation facilities or related industries.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate 30 19

House     96 0 (House amended)

Senate    42 4 (Senate concurred)

Effective:  July 27, 1997