HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 2629

             As Reported By House Committee On:

                      Natural Resources

Title:  An act relating to exchanging administrative and light industrial facilities and land by the department of natural resources.

Brief Description:  Exchanging administrative and light industrial facilities and land by the department of natural resources.

Sponsors:  Representatives Romero, Wolfe and Tokuda; by request of Commissioner of Public Lands.

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

Natural Resources:  1/28/00, 2/4/00 [DP].

                 Brief Summary of Bill

$Allows the Department of Natural Resources to exchange a 38-acre parcel of administrative land in Thurston County.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES

Majority Report:  Do pass.  Signed by 9 members:  Representatives Buck, Republican Co-Chair; Regala, Democratic Co-Chair; Anderson, Democratic Vice Chair; Sump, Republican Vice Chair; Doumit; Eickmeyer; Pennington; Rockefeller and Stensen.

Minority Report:  Do not pass.  Signed by 2 members:  Representatives Clements and Ericksen.

Staff:  Josh Weiss (786-7129).

Background:

The Department of Natural Resources owns a 38-acre administrative site in Lacey.  It supports the department's motor pool, fire program, materials storage, and maintenance equipment.  The buildings on the site were built in 1938 and are expensive to maintain.  The surrounding area was originally rural, but extensive development has occurred, and the facility no longer fits with the surrounding land uses.

The Washington State Patrol was similarly authorized to exchange an administrative site for a light industrial land complex in 1998.

Summary of Bill:

The department may exchange the light industrial site for other public or private lands and facilities of equal value in the Thurston County area.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

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

Testimony For:  This parcel doesn't meet the department's industrial needs and is a nonconforming use.  The department is looking for alternative sites.  The Legislature appropriated $150,000 last year to do a study on the final design which will be completed in April of this year.  Selling the parcel doesn't make sense because there's some transition time needed, and current law requires the money to go into a fund where it can't be used for replacement lands.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Kaleen Cottingham, Department of Natural Resources.