SENATE BILL REPORT

                  EHB 2561

              As Reported By Senate Committee On:

          State & Local Government, February 23, 2000

Title:  An act relating to authorizing the preservation and development of national historic towns outside of urban growth areas.

Brief Description:  Authorizing the preservation and development of national historic towns outside of urban growth areas.

Sponsors:  Representatives Rockefeller, Woods, Mulliken, Scott, Lantz, Ogden, Constantine and Haigh.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  State & Local Government:  2/17/2000, 2/23/2000 [DP].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON STATE & LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Majority Report:  Do pass.

  Signed by Senators Patterson, Chair; Gardner, Vice Chair; Hale, Kline and McCaslin.

Staff:  Diane Smith (786-7410)

Background:  One of the 13 planning goals of the Growth Management Act (GMA) is historic preservation.  It guides the development of comprehensive plans and development regulations in counties and cities planning under GMA to identify and encourage the preservation of lands, sites and structures that have historical or archaeological significance.

There is no further direction in GMA regarding historic preservation.

Summary of Bill:  Counties planning under GMA are allowed to designate national historic towns even though they may constitute urban growth outside of urban growth areas.  This is permitted only for towns that have been designated national historic landmarks by the Secretary of the Interior based on significant urban historic features and historically  contained a mix of residential and commercial or industrial uses.

A county may authorize an existing national historic town only under six conditions.  These conditions require the comprehensive plan to have specific policies to guide the preservation, redevelopment, economic sustainability, infill, and development of the town in various, specific ways.  Critical areas, infrastructure concurrency and otherwise designated urban growth boundaries must be respected.  The boundaries of the town must include all the area contained in the landmark designation and any additional limited buffer and transitional use areas.  The town may include types of uses that existed at times during its history, including urban densities.

The county may allocate a portion of its 20-year population projection to the projected number of permanent residents within the national historic town.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  This is a good bill, endorsed by CTED.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  PRO:  Representative Phil Rockefeller, prime sponsor; Roberta Farris, Pope Resources; Steve Stuart, 1000 Friends of WA; Heather Ballash, CTED.