2576-S AMH SCHI OSBO 081

SHB 2576 - H AMD 1016

By Representative Schindler

   On page 13, after line 34, insert the following:

   "Sec. 4. RCW 36.70A.115 and 2003 c 333 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:   

   (1) Counties and cities that are required or choose to plan under RCW 36.70A.040 shall ensure that, taken collectively, adoption of and amendments to their comprehensive plans and/or development regulations provide sufficient capacity of land suitable for development within their jurisdictions to accommodate their allocated housing goals, as stated in the housing element required under 36.70A.070, and employment growth, as adopted in the applicable countywide planning policies and consistent with the twenty-year population forecast from the office of financial management.

   (2) A county or city planning under RCW 36.70A.040 that amends its comprehensive plan to either designate new or expanded critical areas or parks located within an urban growth area, require that conservation easements be filed by property owners, or amend its development or land use regulations, and thereby either reduces the amount of land available for development or reduces the development potential of land designated for development in its comprehensive plan must:

   (a) Determine the reduction in total acreage and/or the loss of development potential caused by the city or county actions identified in subsection (2) of this section, produce a biannual report comprehensively describing the nature and magnitude of the loss of developable acreage or development potential, and submit the report to the planning director and governing body of the county in which the land is located; and

   (b) Within eighteen months of the submission of the report required under subsection (2)(a) of this section, amend its comprehensive plan to rectify the loss of developable acreage or development potential so as to designate additional developable land in an amount directly proportional to the amount lost and which has comparable qualitative development characteristics.

   (3) For the purposes of this section, "qualitative development characteristics" means the types of uses permitted on the land taken from development or subject to reduced development potential, the land's overall suitability for development, the general location of the land within the city or county, the physical characteristics of the land, and the availability of urban governmental services."

Correct the title.

EFFECT: Adds a new section to the bill imposing additional Growth Management Act planning requirements on those cities and counties taking specified actions that have the effect of either reducing the amount of land available for development or reducing the development potential of land designated for development under the comprehensive plan. Under such circumstances a city or county must: 1) Prepare a biannual report comprehensively describing the nature and magnitude of the loss of developable acreage or development potential; 2) submit the biannual report to the county planning director and the governing body of the county where the land is located; and 3) amend its comprehensive plan to rectify the loss of developable acreage or development potential in accordance with specified requirements.