Washington State
House of Representatives
Office of Program Research
BILL
ANALYSIS

Local Government Committee

HB 2219

Brief Description: Expanding eligibility for urban industrial land banks.

Sponsors: Representatives Hunt, DeBolt, Williams and Alexander.

Brief Summary of Bill
  • Authorizes a county to create urban industrial land banks, provided it has "direct major rail line access" and borders another county eligible to engage in the urban industrial land bank designation process.

Hearing Date: 3/1/05

Staff: Thamas Osborn (786-7129).

Background:

Major Industrial Development Pilot Project.
In 1996 the Legislature enacted legislation as part of the Growth Management Act (GMA) authorizing a pilot project under which areas for major industrial development could be established outside urban growth areas (UGAs) for the purpose of expeditiously siting such development. Among other provisions, the pilot project legislation: a) allowed only certain counties to participate in the project, such participation being contingent on the satisfaction of detailed criteria relating to population, geographic location, and unemployment statistics; b) established criteria for siting these developments within designated banks of land; and c) provided for amending GMA comprehensive plans to implement these provisions. The provisions of the original pilot project have been amended several times to modify the applicability criteria and termination dates.

Industrial Land Banks Definition.
"Industrial land bank" is defined to mean up to two master planned locations, each consisting of a parcel or parcels of contiguous land, sufficiently large so as not to be readily available within the UGA of a city, or otherwise meeting specified criteria. The definition specifies that the land bank must be suitable for manufacturing, industrial, or commercial businesses and designated by the county through the comprehensive planning process specifically for major industrial use.

Master Planned Locations Establishment Criteria.
Eligible counties may establish up to two master planned locations for major industrial activity within an urban industrial land bank (land bank) located outside UGAs. Among other criteria for establishing major industrial developments within designated land banks, eligible counties must provide for new infrastructure, determine the feasibility of alternate sites, and satisfy specific development regulation requirements. Additionally, when selecting locations for inclusion within a land bank, counties must give priority to locations adjacent to, or in close proximity to, a UGA.

Comprehensive Planning Process Locating Industrial Developments in Land Banks.
An eligible county must complete a comprehensive planning process before a master planned location for a major industrial development may be included in an industrial land bank. The planning process must ensure that the following criteria are met:

Development Regulations Authorization of Specific Major Industrial Developments.
An eligible county must adopt development regulations establishing the criteria that must be met before the siting of a specific major industrial development within an approved industrial land bank may be authorized. These criteria must ensure that:

The approval of specific proposals for siting specific major industrial developments requires no further comprehensive plan amendment.

County Elibibility Criteria for the Creation of Master Planned Industrial Development.
The act allows only certain counties to be eligible for participation in the urban industrial land bank designation process outlined in the provisions of the act. The eligible counties are categorized into two groupings that are differentiated in accordance with the date of the expiration of their authority to engage in the land bank development process. The expiration of such authority for one group of counties is December 31, 2007. The expiration of such authority for the other group of counties was December 31, 2002.

To be included in the group of counties whose authority expires on December 31, 2007, a county must meet one of several sets of criteria that include detailed requirements related to population, geographic location, and unemployment statistics. These eligibility criteria allow the inclusion of counties that meet one of the following sets of conditions:

Summary of Bill:

A county that has "direct major rail line access" and which borders another county eligible for participation in the urban industrial land bank designation process is also eligible to create urban industrial land banks. A county meeting these criteria has until December 31, 2007
to engage in the process of creating master planned locations in an urban industrial land bank.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Not requested.

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