Washington State
House of Representatives
Office of Program Research		 BILL
ANALYSIS
Local Government Committee

HB 2093

This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

Brief Description: Accommodating projected urban growth in large counties by wage decile.

Sponsors: Representatives Miloscia and O'Brien.

Brief Summary of Bill
  • Requires counties with more than 600,000 residents as of April 1, 2005 and the cities within those counties to accommodate projected urban growth under the Growth Management Act by adopting zoning regulations for urban growth areas that conform to the estimated wages, by decile, of the residents expected to comprise the growth in the succeeding 20-year period.
  • Specifies evaluation and recommendation provisions pertaining to effectiveness of the zoning regulations in increasing the availability of affordable housing within the jurisdiction to each wage decile.
  • Requires the 20-year growth management planning population projections of the Office of Financial Management for counties with more than 600,000 residents as of April 1, 2005 to include a forecast of the estimated wages, by decile, of the residents expected to comprise the growth.

Hearing Date: 2/20/07

Staff: Ethan Moreno (786-7386).

Background:

Growth Management Act/Urban Growth Areas
The Growth Management Act (GMA or Act) is the comprehensive land use planning framework for county and city governments in Washington. Enacted in 1990 and 1991, the GMA establishes numerous requirements for local governments obligated by mandate or choice to fully plan under the Act (planning jurisdictions) and a reduced number of directives for all other counties and cities. Twenty-nine of Washington's 39 counties, and the cities within those counties, are planning jurisdictions.

The GMA directs planning jurisdictions to adopt internally consistent comprehensive land use plans, which are generalized, coordinated land use policy statements of the governing body. Comprehensive plans must address specified planning elements, each of which is a subset of a comprehensive plan. Planning jurisdictions must also adopt development regulations that implement and conform with the comprehensive plan.

The GMA includes numerous requirements relating to the use or development of land in urban and rural areas. Among other planning requirements, counties that fully plan under the GMA (planning counties) must designate urban growth areas (UGAs) or areas within which urban growth must be encouraged and outside of which growth can occur only if it is not urban in nature.

Planning jurisdictions must satisfy specific requirements pertaining to UGAs. Using population projections made by the Office of Financial Management (OFM), and subject to statutory provisions, planning counties and the cities within these counties must include within 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. A UGA determination may include a reasonable land market supply factor and must permit a range of urban densities and uses. The UGA provisions of the GMA expressly indicate that cities and counties have discretion in their comprehensive plans to make many choices about accommodating growth.

Population Determination Requirements of the OFM
At least once every five years or upon the availability of decennial census data, whichever is later, the OFM must prepare 20-year growth management planning population projections for each planning county. The OFM must review these projections with each planning county and the cities within those counties before adopting the projections. If any city or county believes that a projection will not accurately reflect the actual population growth in a county, it may petition the OFM to revise the projection.

Summary of Bill:

Growth Management Act/Urban Growth Areas
Counties fully planning under the GMA with more than 600,000 residents as of April 1, 2005, and the cities within those counties, must include zoning regulations for their UGAs that conform to the estimated wages of the residents expected to comprise the growth that is projected to occur in the succeeding 20-year period. These zoning regulations must:

If the evaluation component does not demonstrate an increase in the availability of affordable housing within the jurisdiction to each wage decile, the city or county conducting the evaluation must develop and implement recommendations that are reasonably likely to increase the availability of such housing.

A discretion provision pertaining to UGAs is modified to specify that, in accordance with the requirements of the GMA, cities and counties have discretion in their comprehensive plans to make many choices about accommodating growth.

Population Determination Requirements of the OFM
At least once every five years or upon the availability of decennial census data, whichever is earlier, the OFM must prepare 20-year growth management planning population projections for planning counties. The OFM must review these projections with each planning county and the cities within those counties before adopting the projections. For planning counties with more than 600,000 residents as of April 1, 2005, these projections must include a forecast of the estimated wages, by decile, of the residents expected to comprise the growth. If any city or county believes that a projection will not accurately reflect the estimated wages of the residents expected to comprise the growth, it may petition the office to revise the projection accordingly.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Requested on February 15, 2007.

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