SENATE BILL REPORT

SSB 5602

As Passed Senate, March 13, 2003

Title: An act relating to accommodating housing and employment growth for local jurisdictions planning under RCW 36.70A.040.

Brief Description: Concerning the accommodation of housing and employment growth under local comprehensive plans.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Land Use & Planning (originally sponsored by Senators Kline, Mulliken, Shin, Reardon, T. Sheldon, Esser, Oke, Sheahan, Hewitt, Prentice, Doumit, Keiser and Kohl-Welles).

Brief History:

Committee Activity: Land Use & Planning: 2/24/03, 3/3/03 [DPS].

Passed Senate: 3/13/03, 40-8.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON LAND USE & PLANNING

Majority Report: That Substitute Senate Bill No. 5602 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.

      Signed by Senators Mulliken, Chair; Kline, McCaslin, Morton and T. Sheldon.

Staff: Tim Watterson (786-7441)

Background: Counties and cities planning under the Growth Management Act (GMA) are required to accommodate within their urban growth areas designated in their comprehensive plans the amount of projected 20-year population growth that is allocated to their jurisdictions. In some counties, projected employment growth is also allocated to jurisdictions. Counties and cities must also designate and protect critical areas located within their urban growth areas. All GMA jurisdictions are required to update their comprehensive plans and development regulations, including critical areas ordinances, to accommodate projected growth and to protect critical areas.

Summary of Bill: GMA jurisdictions must ensure that amendments to their comprehensive plans and development regulations will not prevent them from accommodating their projected population and employment growth as provided by the Office of Financial Management and the applicable countywide planning policies.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Not requested.

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

Testimony For: The bill clarifies existing statutory requirements regarding accommodation of allocated growth within urban growth areas. If adequate land is not available, prices rise and people travel farther. The bill assures that when comprehensive plans are updated land is still available.

Testimony Against: The bill may appear to add new requirements for cities, leading to appeals of plan and regulation adoptions. Cities could be vulnerable if they upzone one area and downzone another.

Testified: Senator Kline, prime sponsor; Mike Flynn, Washington Association of Realtors (pro); Dave Williams, Association of Washington Cities (con); Doug Levy, Cities of Everett, Kent, Federal Way (con).

House Amendment(s): The House amendment added the words "taken collectively" before "adoption of and amendments to comprehensive plans and development regulations." The effect of the amendment is to clarify that the requirements of the new section apply collectively to plan and regulation adoptions and amendments.