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                     ENGROSSED HOUSE BILL 2897

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State of Washington      55th Legislature     1998 Regular Session

By Representatives Reams, Grant, Schoesler, Sheahan, Doumit, Pennington, Hatfield, Mulliken, Sherstad, Thompson, Cairnes, Sullivan, Benson, Koster, McMorris, Bush, Dunn, Mielke, Crouse, Chandler and Zellinsky

Read first time 01/21/98.  Referred to Committee on House Government Reform & Land Use.

Exempting certain activities from the state environmental policy act.

    AN ACT Relating to categorical exemptions from the state environmental policy act for certain activities; and adding new sections to chapter 43.21C RCW.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 43.21C RCW to read as follows:

    (1) Within urban growth areas designated under RCW 36.70A.110, decisions pertaining to the following activities are exempt from this chapter:  (a) Construction of or location of any residential structures of ten or fewer dwelling units; (b) construction of an office, school, commercial, recreational, service, or storage building with eight thousand or fewer square feet of gross floor area, and with associated parking for forty or fewer automobiles; (c) construction of a parking lot designed for forty or fewer automobiles; (d) division of land into nine or fewer lots or parcels; and (e) any landfill or excavation of five hundred cubic yards throughout the total lifetime of the fill or excavation.

    (2) The legislative authority of a county or city that is planning under RCW 36.70A.040 may raise the exemption levels specified in subsection (1)(a) or (b) of this section by ordinance or resolution to the following maximum levels within urban growth areas:  (a) Construction of or location of any residential structures of a maximum of twenty or fewer dwelling units; and (b) construction of an office, school, commercial, recreational, service, or storage building with a maximum of twelve thousand or fewer square feet of gross floor area, and with associated parking for forty or fewer automobiles.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 43.21C RCW to read as follows:

    Decisions pertaining to preparation and adoption of watershed plans addressing water quality developed by counties or conservation districts outside the Puget Sound area are not subject to the requirements of this chapter if the requirements of subsections (1) and (2) of this section are satisfied.

    (1) The plan must be developed by a watershed management committee and its advisory committees which include representatives from:

    (a) Cities and counties with territory in the planning area;

    (b) Federal Indian reservations located in whole or in part within the boundaries of the planning area;

    (c) Special purpose districts within the boundaries of the planning area;

    (d) Interest groups representing the major interests in the planning area;

    (e) Landowners within the planning area; and

    (f) State and federal agencies with jurisdiction over the subject matter of the components of the watershed plan.

    (2) Upon completion of the proposed watershed plan, at least one public hearing in the planning area must be held.

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