HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 1853

             As Reported By House Committee On:

                      Local Government

Title:  An act relating to historic preservation.

Brief Description:  Creating an historic resources and local government task force.

Sponsors:  Representatives Ogden, Carlson, Basich, Wood, Shin, J. Kohl, Bray, Kessler, Quall and Jacobsen.

Brief History:

  Reported by House Committee on:

Local Government, February 25, 1993, DPS.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  Signed by 12 members:  Representatives H. Myers, Chair; Bray, Vice Chair; Edmondson, Ranking Minority Member; Reams, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Dunshee; R. Fisher; Horn; Rayburn; Romero; Springer; Van Luven; and Zellinsky.

Staff:  Steve Lundin (786-7127).

Background:  Counties, cities, and towns have general planning and zoning authority and issue permits authorizing various development activities.

Summary of Substitute Bill:  The historic resources and local government task force is created composed of an unspecified number of persons appointed by the director of the Department of Community Development.  Persons on the task force include local elected officials, planning officials, developers, Native Americans, archaeologists, historians, architects, and property owners, but no more than two individuals may be from the "same interest group."

The task force investigates the impact of local development on significant historic and archaeological properties and prepares a report recommending the most effective and efficient means of coordinating the protection of historic resources consistent with the Growth Management Act without creating an undue burden on local government economic development efforts.  The task force makes its report and recommendations to the governor and Legislature by November 30, 1994.  The task force terminates on June 30, 1995.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:  The recommendations must be consistent with the Growth Management Act.

Fiscal Note:  Requested February 25, 1993.

Effective Date of Substitute Bill:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For: We have many valuable sites that can be damaged by development.  This will give us the tools to address situations where valuable sites are being threatened.

Testimony Against:  None.

Witnesses:  (pro):  Representative Ogden, prime sponsor; Mary Thompson, Office of Archaeology and History Preservation; and (pro with amendment) Dick Ducharme, Building Industry Association of Washington.