BILL REQ. #:  S-3506.1 

Read first time 01/27/2004.   Referred to Committee on Land Use & Planning.

     AN ACT Relating to tax incentives for certain multiple-unit dwellings in urban centers; and amending RCW 84.14.010 and 84.14.020.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 84.14.010 and 2002 c 146 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter.
     (1) "City" means either (a) a city or town with a population of at least ((thirty)) five thousand or (b) the largest city or town, if there is no city or town with a population of at least ((thirty)) five thousand, located in a county planning under the growth management act.
     (2) "Governing authority" means the local legislative authority of a city having jurisdiction over the property for which an exemption may be applied for under this chapter.
     (3) "Growth management act" means chapter 36.70A RCW.
     (4) "Multiple-unit housing" means a building having four or more dwelling units not designed or used as transient accommodations and not including hotels and motels. Multifamily units may result from new construction or rehabilitated or conversion of vacant, underutilized, or substandard buildings to multifamily housing.
     (5) "Owner" means the property owner of record.
     (6) "Permanent residential occupancy" means multiunit housing that provides either rental or owner occupancy on a nontransient basis. This includes owner-occupied or rental accommodation that is leased for a period of at least one month. This excludes hotels and motels that predominately offer rental accommodation on a daily or weekly basis.
     (7) "Rehabilitation improvements" means modifications to existing structures, that are vacant for twelve months or longer, that are made to achieve a condition of substantial compliance with existing building codes or modification to existing occupied structures which increase the number of multifamily housing units.
     (8) "Residential targeted area" means an area within an urban center that has been designated by the governing authority as a residential targeted area in accordance with this chapter.
     (9) "Substantial compliance" means compliance with local building or housing code requirements that are typically required for rehabilitation as opposed to new construction.
     (10) "Urban center" means a compact identifiable district where urban residents may obtain a variety of products and services. An urban center must contain:
     (a) Several existing or previous, or both, business establishments that may include but are not limited to shops, offices, banks, restaurants, governmental agencies;
     (b) Adequate public facilities including streets, sidewalks, lighting, transit, domestic water, and sanitary sewer systems; and
     (c) A mixture of uses and activities that may include housing, recreation, and cultural activities in association with either commercial or office, or both, use.

Sec. 2   RCW 84.14.020 and 2002 c 146 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The value of new housing construction, conversion, and rehabilitation improvements qualifying under this chapter is exempt from ad valorem property taxation, for ten successive years beginning January 1 of the year immediately following the calendar year of issuance of the certificate of tax exemption eligibility. However, the exemption does not include the value of land or nonhousing-related improvements not qualifying under this chapter. When a local government adopts guidelines pursuant to RCW 84.14.030(2) ((and the qualifying dwelling units are each on separate parcels for the purpose of property taxation)), the exemption may, at the local government's discretion, be limited to those dwelling units that meet the local guidelines.
     (2) In the case of rehabilitation of existing buildings, the exemption does not include the value of improvements constructed prior to the submission of the application required under this chapter. The incentive provided by this chapter is in addition to any other incentives, tax credits, grants, or other incentives provided by law.
     (3) This chapter does not apply to increases in assessed valuation made by the assessor on nonqualifying portions of building and value of land nor to increases made by lawful order of a county board of equalization, the department of revenue, or a county, to a class of property throughout the county or specific area of the county to achieve the uniformity of assessment or appraisal required by law.
     (4) At the conclusion of the ten-year exemption period, the new or rehabilitated housing cost shall be considered as new construction for the purposes of chapter 84.55 RCW.