Brief Description: Removing concurrency requirements under the growth management act.

Sponsors: Representative Moeller.

Hearing Date: 2/26/03

Staff: Ethan Moreno (786-7386).

Background:

Growth Management Act

Enacted in 1990 and 1991, the Growth Management Act (GMA) establishes a comprehensive land use planning framework for county and city governments in Washington. Counties and cities meeting specific population and growth criteria are required to comply with the major requirements of the GMA. Counties not meeting these criteria may choose to plan under the GMA. Currently, 29 of 39 counties, and the cities within those 29 counties, are required to or have chosen to comply with the major requirements of the GMA (GMA jurisdictions).

Comprehensive Land Use Plans - Required Elements

Among numerous planning requirements, GMA jurisdictions must adopt internally consistent comprehensive land use plans, which are generalized, coordinated land use policy statements of the governing body. Each comprehensive plan must include the following elements:

      •    land use;

      •    housing;

      •    capital facilities plan;

      •    utilities;

      •    rural;

      •    transportation;

      •    economic development; and

      •    parks and recreation.

The economic development and park and recreation elements do not require jurisdictional compliance or action until state funding is provided.

Transportation Element/Concurrency

The transportation element of the comprehensive plan mandates numerous use, inventory, service, forecasting, and finance-related sub-elements for transportation planning. A provision of the sub-element for facilities and services needs requires GMA jurisdictions to adopt level of service standards for all locally owned arterials and transit routes. These standards are used to measure the performance of the transportation system and should be regionally coordinated.

The comprehensive plan transportation element further specifies that GMA jurisdictions must adopt and enforce ordinances that prohibit development approval if the development causes the level of service on a locally owned transportation facility to decline below adopted standards, unless improvements or accommodation strategies are made concurrent with the development. These strategies may include increased public transportation service, ride sharing programs, and others. "Concurrent with the development" means improvements or strategies in place at the time of development or a financial commitment is in place to complete the improvements or strategies within six years.

Urban Growth Areas

Comprehensive plans must also include designations of urban growth areas (UGAs) within which urban growth must be encouraged and outside of which growth can occur only if it is not urban in nature. Using population projections by the Office of Financial Management, GMA jurisdictions must include within their UGAs areas and densities sufficient to permit the urban growth that is projected to occur in the county or city for the succeeding 20-year period.

Summary of Bill:

Provisions related to the transportation element of a comprehensive plan required by the Growth Management Act are limited to projects outside of designated urban growth areas (UGAs). More specifically, conditional development prohibitions that must be imposed on development that causes the level of service on a locally owned transportation facility to decline below adopted standards (unless improvements or accommodation strategies are made concurrent with the development) apply only to projects located outside of designated UGAs.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Requested on February 21, 2003.

Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.