AN ACT Relating to increasing flexibility for counties and cities in implementing growth management; amending RCW 36.70A.040 and 36.70A.110; adding a new section to chapter 36.70A RCW; and declaring an emergency.

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

Sec. 1. RCW 36.70A.040 and 1995 c 400 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

(1)(a) Each county that has both a population of fifty thousand or more and, until May 16, 1995, has had its population increase by more than ten percent in the previous ten years or, on or after May 16, 1995, has had its population increase by more than seventeen percent in the previous ten years, and the cities located within such county, and any other county regardless of its population that has had its population increase by more than twenty percent in the previous ten years, and the cities located within such county, shall ((~~conform with all of the requirements of this chapter~~)) plan under this section. However, the county legislative authority of such a county with a population of less than ((~~fifty~~)) seventy-five thousand population may adopt a resolution removing the county, and the cities located within the county, from the requirement((~~s of adopting comprehensive land use plans and development regulations under this chapter~~)) to plan under this section if this resolution is adopted and filed with the department by December 31, ((~~1990, for counties initially meeting this set of criteria~~)) 1997, or within ((~~sixty days~~)) six months of the date the office of financial management certifies that a county meets this set of criteria under subsection (5) of this section. A county that adopts a resolution removing the county, and the cities located within the county, from the requirement to plan under this section remains subject to the requirements for the designation and protection of critical areas and the designation of natural resource lands under RCW 36.70A.060(2), 36.70A.170, and 36.70A.172.

(b) Once a county meets either of these sets of criteria and the county has not adopted a resolution under (a) of this subsection, the requirement to ((~~conform with all of the requirements of this chapter~~)) plan under this section remains in effect, even if the county no longer meets one of these sets of criteria.

(2) The county legislative authority of any county that does not ((~~meet either of the sets of criteria established~~)) plan under ((~~subsection (1) of~~)) this section may adopt a resolution indicating its intention ((~~to have subsection (1) of this section apply to~~)) that the county plan under this section. Each city, located in a county that ((~~chooses to plan~~)) adopts a resolution under this subsection((,)) shall ((~~conform with all of the requirements of this chapter~~)) plan under this section. Once such a resolution has been adopted, the county and the cities located within the county remain subject to all of the requirements of this ((~~chapter~~)) section. However, a county with a population of seventy-five thousand or less that, before the effective date of this act, adopted a resolution of intention under this subsection to plan under this section may adopt a resolution removing the county, and the cities located within the county, from the requirement to plan under this section if the resolution is adopted and filed with the department by December 31, 1997. A county that adopts a resolution removing the county, and the cities located within the county, from the requirement to plan under this section remains subject to the requirements for the designation and protection of critical areas and the designation of natural resource lands under RCW 36.70A.060(2), 36.70A.170, and 36.70A.172.

(3) Any county or city that is initially required to ((~~conform with all of the requirements of this chapter~~)) plan under this section, and, where applicable, the county legislative authority has not adopted a resolution removing the county from these requirements as provided in subsection (1) of this section, shall take actions under this chapter as follows: (a) The county legislative authority shall adopt a county-wide planning policy under RCW 36.70A.210; (b) the county and each city located within the county shall designate critical areas, agricultural lands, forest lands, and mineral resource lands, and adopt development regulations conserving these designated agricultural lands, forest lands, and mineral resource lands and protecting these designated critical areas, under RCW 36.70A.170 and 36.70A.060; (c) the county shall designate and take other actions related to urban growth areas under RCW 36.70A.110; (d) if the county has a population of fifty thousand or more, the county and each city located within the county shall adopt a comprehensive plan under this chapter and development regulations that are consistent with and implement the comprehensive plan on or before July 1, 1994, and if the county has a population of less than fifty thousand, the county and each city located within the county shall adopt a comprehensive plan under this chapter and development regulations that are consistent with and implement the comprehensive plan by January 1, 1995, but if the governor makes written findings that a county with a population of less than fifty thousand or a city located within such a county is not making reasonable progress toward adopting a comprehensive plan and development regulations the governor may reduce this deadline for such actions to be taken by no more than one hundred eighty days. Any county or city subject to this subsection may obtain an additional six months before it is required to have adopted its development regulations by submitting a letter notifying the department of community, trade, and economic development of its need prior to the deadline for adopting both a comprehensive plan and development regulations.

(4) Any county or city that is required to ((~~conform with all the requirements of this chapter~~)) plan under this section, as a result of the county legislative authority adopting its resolution of intention under subsection (2) of this section, and the county legislative authority has not adopted a resolution removing the county from these requirements under subsection (2) of this section, shall take actions under this chapter as follows: (a) The county legislative authority shall adopt a county-wide planning policy under RCW 36.70A.210; (b) the county and each city that is located within the county shall adopt development regulations conserving agricultural lands, forest lands, and mineral resource lands it designated under RCW 36.70A.060 within one year of the date the county legislative authority adopts its resolution of intention; (c) the county shall designate and take other actions related to urban growth areas under RCW 36.70A.110; and (d) the county and each city that is located within the county shall adopt a comprehensive plan and development regulations that are consistent with and implement the comprehensive plan not later than four years from the date the county legislative authority adopts its resolution of intention, but a county or city may obtain an additional six months before it is required to have adopted its development regulations by submitting a letter notifying the department of community, trade, and economic development of its need prior to the deadline for adopting both a comprehensive plan and development regulations.

(5) If the office of financial management certifies that the population of a county that ((~~previously had not been required to~~)) does not plan under ((~~subsection (1) or (2) of~~)) this section has changed sufficiently to meet either of the sets of criteria specified under subsection (1) of this section, and where applicable, the county legislative authority has not adopted a resolution removing the county from these requirements as provided in subsection (1) of this section, the county and each city within such county shall take actions under this chapter as follows: (a) The county legislative authority shall adopt a county-wide planning policy under RCW 36.70A.210; (b) the county and each city located within the county shall adopt development regulations under RCW 36.70A.060 conserving agricultural lands, forest lands, and mineral resource lands it designated within one year of the certification by the office of financial management; (c) the county shall designate and take other actions related to urban growth areas under RCW 36.70A.110; and (d) the county and each city located within the county shall adopt a comprehensive land use plan and development regulations that are consistent with and implement the comprehensive plan within four years of the certification by the office of financial management, but a county or city may obtain an additional six months before it is required to have adopted its development regulations by submitting a letter notifying the department of community, trade, and economic development of its need prior to the deadline for adopting both a comprehensive plan and development regulations.

(6) A copy of each document that is required under this section shall be submitted to the department at the time of its adoption.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 36.70A RCW to read as follows:

(1) A county, after conferring with its cities, may develop alternative methods of achieving the planning goals established by RCW 36.70A.020.

(2) The authority provided by this section may not be used to modify:

(a) Requirements for the designation and protection of critical areas or for the designation of natural resource lands under RCW 36.70A.060(2), 36.70A.170, and 36.70A.172;

(b) The requirement that wetlands be delineated consistent with the requirements of RCW 36.70A.175; or

(3) Before adopting any alternative methods of achieving the planning goals established by RCW 36.70A.020, a county shall provide an opportunity for public review and comment. An ordinance or resolution proposing or adopting alternative methods must be submitted to the department in the same manner as provided in RCW 36.70A.106 for submittal of proposed and adopted comprehensive plans and development regulations.

Sec. 3. RCW 36.70A.110 and 1995 c 400 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Each county that is required or chooses to plan under RCW 36.70A.040 shall designate an urban growth area or areas within which urban growth shall be encouraged and outside of which growth can occur only if it is not urban in nature. Each city that is located in such a county shall be included within an urban growth area. An urban growth area may include more than a single city. An urban growth area may include territory that is located outside of a city only if such territory already is characterized by urban growth whether or not the urban growth area includes a city, or is adjacent to territory already characterized by urban growth, or is a designated new fully contained community as defined by RCW 36.70A.350.

(2) Based upon the growth management population projection made for the county by the office of financial management, the urban growth areas in the county shall include areas and densities at least sufficient to permit the urban growth that is projected to occur in the county for the succeeding twenty-year period. Each urban growth area shall permit urban densities and shall include greenbelt and open space areas. An urban growth area determination may include a reasonable land market supply factor and shall permit a range of urban densities and uses. In determining this market factor, cities and counties may consider local circumstances. Cities and counties have discretion in their comprehensive plans to make many choices about accommodating growth.

Within one year of July 1, 1990, each county that as of June 1, 1991, was required or chose to plan under RCW 36.70A.040, shall begin consulting with each city located within its boundaries and each city shall propose the location of an urban growth area. Within sixty days of the date the county legislative authority of a county adopts its resolution of intention or of certification by the office of financial management, all other counties that are required or choose to plan under RCW 36.70A.040 shall begin this consultation with each city located within its boundaries. The county shall attempt to reach agreement with each city on the location of an urban growth area within which the city is located. If such an agreement is not reached with each city located within the urban growth area, the county shall justify in writing why it so designated the area an urban growth area. A city may object formally with the department over the designation of the urban growth area within which it is located. Where appropriate, the department shall attempt to resolve the conflicts, including the use of mediation services.

(3) Urban growth should be located first in areas already characterized by urban growth that have adequate existing public facility and service capacities to serve such development, second in areas already characterized by urban growth that will be served adequately by a combination of both existing public facilities and services and any additional needed public facilities and services that are provided by either public or private sources, and third in the remaining portions of the urban growth areas. Urban growth may also be located in designated new fully contained communities as defined by RCW 36.70A.350.

(4) In general, cities are the units of local government most appropriate to provide urban governmental services. In general, it is not appropriate that urban governmental services be extended to or expanded in rural areas except in those limited circumstances shown to be necessary to protect basic public health and safety and the environment and when such services are financially supportable at rural densities and do not permit urban development. Counties and special districts also may provide a variety of governmental services, including but not limited to, public safety and fire protection; water, wastewater, and other utility service; and transit and transportation services. When such services are provided outside the urban growth area it is usually at a lower service level than for urban governmental services.

(5) On or before October 1, 1993, each county that was initially required to plan under RCW 36.70A.040(1) shall adopt development regulations designating interim urban growth areas under this chapter. Within three years and three months of the date the county legislative authority of a county adopts its resolution of intention or of certification by the office of financial management, all other counties that are required or choose to plan under RCW 36.70A.040 shall adopt development regulations designating interim urban growth areas under this chapter. Adoption of the interim urban growth areas may only occur after public notice; public hearing; and compliance with the state environmental policy act, chapter 43.21C RCW, and RCW 36.70A.110. Such action may be appealed to the appropriate growth management hearings board under RCW 36.70A.280. Final urban growth areas shall be adopted at the time of comprehensive plan adoption under this chapter.

(6) Each county shall include designations of urban growth areas in its comprehensive plan.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect immediately.