Washington State

House of Representatives

Office of Program Research

BILL

 ANALYSIS

Local Government & Housing Committee

 

 

SSB 5841

 

Brief Description:  Establishing a schedule for review of comprehensive plans and development regulations adopted under the growth management act.

 

Sponsors:  Senate Committee on State & Local Government (originally sponsored by Senators Patterson, McCaslin, Gardner, Sheahan, T. Sheldon, Deccio, Haugen, Winsley and Hochstatter).

 

Brief Summary of Substitute Bill

$Extends the September 1, 2002 deadlines and a schedule for scheduled review and evaluation of comprehensive plans and development regulations for GMA jurisdictions, and for critical area and natural resource lands review for non‑GMA jurisdictions.

$Requires the Office of Community Development to establish a schedule for that review. 

 

 

Hearing Date:  2/20/02

 

Staff:  Scott MacColl (786‑7106).

 

Background:

 

The Growth Management Act (GMA) requires a county and its cities to plan if the county meets specified population and growth criteria.  Counties not meeting these criteria may choose to plan under the GMA.  Currently, 29 of 39 Washington counties are required or have chosen to plan under the major GMA requirements (GMA jurisdictions).

 

The GMA requires all counties and cities in the state to designate and protect critical areas and to designate natural resource lands.  The GMA imposes additional requirements on GMA jurisdictions, including identification and protection of critical areas; identification and conservation of agricultural, forest, and mineral resource lands; and adoption of county‑wide planning policies to coordinate comprehensive planning among counties and their cities.

 

GMA jurisdictions must designate urban growth areas (UGA's), within which urban growth is encouraged and outside of which urban growth is prohibited.  "Urban growth" is defined in the GMA to mean growth making intensive use of land to an extent creating incompatibility with natural resource use.  Counties and cities must review their UGA's and the densities permitted within every ten years after being designated.

 

GMA jurisdictions must also adopt a comprehensive plan containing certain required elements and implementing development regulations. By September 1, 2002, and every five years thereafter, GMA jurisdictions must review their comprehensive plans and development regulations for consistency with GMA requirements and must revise their plans and regulations if necessary.

 

Summary of Bill:

 

The September 1, 2002 deadline for review and evaluation of comprehensive plans of GMA jurisdictions is extended.  Jurisdictions not planning under GMA must also review and revise its policies and development regulations relating to critical areas and natural resource lands.  The Office of Community Development is required to establish a schedule for the review to be completed on or before the following dates:

 

$For Clark, King, Kitsap, Pierce, Snohomish, and Thurston counties and the cities within, and every five years thereafter:

 

  $December 1, 2003 for policies and regulations regarding critical areas.  Amendments to these policies are prohibited from being effective until July 1, 2004;

 

  $July 1, 2004 for comprehensive plans;

 

$December 1, 2004, and every ten years after, for Clallam, Jefferson, and Whatcom counties and the cities within;

 

$December 1, 2005, and every ten years after, for Cowlitz, Island, Lewis, Mason, San Juan, Skagit, and Skamania counties and the cities within;

 

$December 1, 2006, and every ten years after, for Benton, Chelan, Douglas, Grant, Kittitas, Spokane, and Yakima counties and the cities within; and

 

$December 1, 2007, and every ten years after for Adams, Asotin, Columbia, Ferry, Franklin, Garfield, Grays Harbor, Klickitat, Lincoln, Okanogan, Pacific, Pend Orielle, Stevens, Wahkiakum, Walla Walla, and Whitman and the cities within those counties.

 

A county or a city that begin the review and evaluation process early may be eligible for grants from the Office of Community Development, subject to funding.

 

GMA jurisdictions that have conducted a review and evaluation of its comprehensive plans and development regulations and, on or after January 1, 2001, has taken action in response to the review is deemed to have completed the first review required in statute.  Subsequent reviews are required according to the new schedule.

 

Appropriation:  None.

 

Fiscal Note:  Not Requested.

 

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