(1) The act allows for master planned resorts to provide counties with a means of capitalizing on areas of significant natural amenities to provide sustainable economic development for its rural areas. The requirements allow for master planned resorts without degrading the rural character of the county or imposing a public service burden on the county.

(2) A master planned resort is a self-contained, fully integrated planned unit development, in a setting of significant natural amenities, with primary focus on destination resort facilities, consisting of short-term visitor accommodations associated with a range of developed on-site indoor or outdoor recreational facilities. Residential uses are permitted only if they are integrated into and support the on-site recreational nature of the resort.

(3) Master planned resorts may include public facilities and services beyond those normally provided in rural areas. However, those provided on-site must be limited to those that meet the needs of the master planned resort. Services may be developed on-site or may be provided by other service providers, including special purpose districts or municipalities. All costs associated with service extensions and capacity increases directly attributable to the master planned resort must be borne by the resort, rather than the county. A master planned resort may enter into development agreements with service providers to share facilities, provided the services serve either an existing urban growth area or the master planned resort. Such agreements may not allow or facilitate extension of urban services outside of the urban growth area or the master planned resort. When approving the master planned resort, the county must conclude that on-site and off-site infrastructure and service impacts are fully considered and mitigated.

(4) A county must include policies in its rural element to guide the development of master planned resorts before it can approve a master planned resort. These policies must preclude new urban or suburban land uses in the vicinity of the master planned resort unless those uses are otherwise within a designated urban growth area.

(5) When approving a master planned resort, a county must conclude, supported by the record before it, that the master planned resort is consistent with the development regulations protecting critical areas.

(6) If the area designated as a master planned resort includes resource lands of long-term commercial significance, a county must conclude, supported by the record before it, that the land is better suited, and has more long-term importance for the master planned resort than for the commercial harvesting of timber, minerals, or agricultural production. Because this conclusion effects a dedesignation of resource lands, it must be based on the criteria and the process contained in chapter 365-190 WAC. Even if lands are dedesignated, the master planned resort may not operationally interfere with the continued use of any adjacent resource lands of long-term commercial significance for natural resource production.