Title: An act relating to connection of limited areas of more intensive rural development for recreational or tourist use to existing public facilities.

Brief Description: Changing provisions relating to limited development of rural areas.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Government Operations & Elections (originally sponsored by Senators Sheldon and Rockefeller).

Brief History:

Committee Activity: Government Operations & Elections: 2/24/05, 3/1/05 [DPS].

Passed Senate: 3/16/05, 45-3.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS & ELECTIONS

Majority Report: That Substitute Senate Bill No. 6037 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.Signed by Senators Kastama, Chair; Berkey, Vice Chair; Roach, Ranking Minority Member; Benton, Haugen, McCaslin, Mulliken and Pridemore.

Staff: Genevieve Pisarski (786-7488)

Background: In general, the state's Growth Management Act (GMA) prohibits extension into rural areas of urban governmental services at an intensity that is historically and typically found in cities, except when necessary to protect public health and the environment. The GMA, however, also provides for limited areas of more intensive rural development (LAMIRDs), including necessary public facilities to serve them. Small-scale recreational or tourist use is one type of LAMIRD allowed by the GMA. Public facilities and services must be limited to those necessary to serve the recreation or tourist use and must be provided in a manner that does not permit low-density sprawl.

Summary of Bill: Connection to an existing sewer line where the connection serves only the recreational or tourist use and is not available to adjacent non-recreational or non-tourist use parcels is added as an example of public services and public facilities that are limited to those necessary to serve a small-scale recreational or tourist LAMIRD and are provided in a manner that does not permit low-density sprawl.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Not requested.

Committee/Commission/Task Force Created: No.

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

Testimony For: This bill clarifies existing law. It will help a camp that's been in the community for twenty-five years, is near Hood Canal, and was told that it could hook-up to the county sewer line that runs outside of the urban growth area. This the kind of situation that the LAMIRD law addresses. There is no need for a bill. State officials agree that this hook-up is allowed under existing law, but want clarification.

Testimony Against: None.

Who Testified: PRO: Senator Sheldon, prime sponsor; Genesee Adkins, Futurewise; Gordon Conger, Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints.