SENATE BILL REPORT
SSB 5700
As Passed Senate, February 16, 2002
Title: An act relating to establishing a pilot program authorizing designation of industrial land banks outside urban growth areas under certain circumstances.
Brief Description: Establishing a pilot program authorizing designation of industrial land banks outside urban growth areas under certain circumstances.
Sponsors: Senate Committee on State & Local Government (originally sponsored by Senators Carlson, Benton and Zarelli).
Brief History:
Committee Activity: State & Local Government: 2/6/02, 2/7/02 [DPS].
Passed Senate: 2/16/02, 48-0.
SENATE COMMITTEE ON STATE & LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Majority Report: That Substitute Senate Bill No. 5700 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.
Signed by Senators Gardner, Chair; Fairley, Vice Chair; Hale, Haugen, Horn, Keiser, McCaslin, Roach, T. Sheldon and Swecker.
Staff: Mac Nicholson (786‑7445)
Background: Counties must encourage urban growth within urban growth areas (UGAs) and may allow growth outside UGAs if it is not urban in nature. The Growth Management Act (GMA) contains several exceptions to the general prohibition against urban growth outside UGAs, including a provision granting certain counties the authority to designate an industrial land bank outside of a UGA. Two different dates at which the authority was terminated were implemented for different counties, depending on established criteria.
For counties: (a) with a population greater than 250,000 and that are part of a metropolitan area that included a city in another state with a population of greater than 250,000; (b) with a population greater than 140,000 and that are adjacent to another country; or (c) that have a population between 40,000 and 75,000 and have an average level of unemployment for the preceding three years that exceeds the average state unemployment for those years by 20 percent and are bordered by the Pacific Ocean or are located in the I-5 or I-90 corridor; the authority to establish land banks expired December 31, 1999.
For counties that have a population between 40,000 and 80,000 with an average level of unemployment for the preceding three years that exceeds the average state unemployment for those years by 20 percent and is located in the I-5 or I-90 corridor, the authority to establish land banks expires December 31, 2002.
If an industrial land bank was set aside before the termination date, the county's ability to use it does not expire.
Summary of Bill: The date at which the authority to designate land banks outside of UGAs is extended to December 31, 2007, for counties meeting the following criteria: (a) a population greater than 250,000 and is part of a metropolitan area that included a city in another state with a population greater than 250,000; (b) a population greater than 140,000 and is adjacent to another country; or (c) has a population between 40,000 and 75,000, and has an average level of unemployment for the preceding three years that exceeds the average state unemployment for those years by 20 percent, and is bordered by the Pacific Ocean or is located in the I-5 or I-90 corridor.
The following additional criteria are required of a master planned location for major industrial developments outside an UGA before it may be included in the industrial land bank: an interlocal agreement related to infrastructure cost sharing and revenue sharing between the county and interested cities must be established; provisions must be established for determining the availability of alternate sites within urban growth areas and the long-term annexation feasibility of land sites outside of urban growth areas; and the development regulations must require the industrial land bank site to be used primarily for locating industrial and manufacturing businesses and specify gross floor area limits for commercial and service buildings.
A county that has established or proposes to establish an industrial land bank must review the need for an industrial land bank within the county, including a review of the availability of land for industrial and manufacturing uses within the urban growth area, during the required review and evaluation of comprehensive plans and development regulations.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Not requested.
Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.
Testimony For: Some counties need to site an industrial land bank outside of an urban growth area in order to attract industry and generate jobs for the citizens. This legislation allows cities and counties to share revenue and the costs of infrastructure.
Testimony Against: None.
Testified: Sharon Wylie, Clark County (pro).