BILL REQ. #:  S-4420.1 

Read first time 01/21/08.   Referred to Committee on Consumer Protection & Housing.

     AN ACT Relating to siting new mobile home parks and manufactured housing communities; and adding a new section to chapter 36.70A RCW.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   A new section is added to chapter 36.70A RCW to read as follows:
     (1)(a) A county, located in eastern Washington, planning under RCW 36.70A.040 shall establish, in consultation with cities, a process for authorizing the siting of new mobile home parks and manufactured housing communities outside of urban growth areas designated under RCW 36.70A.110.
     (b) For purposes of this section, "mobile home park" or "manufactured housing community" has the same meaning as defined in RCW 59.20.030.
     (2) A county, located in eastern Washington, considering an application to site a new mobile home park or manufactured housing community outside of an urban growth area may approve the siting if the following criteria are met:
     (a) The proposed site is adjacent to or in close proximity to an urban growth area;
     (b) Affordable housing will be provided within the mobile home park or manufactured housing community for a range of income levels;
     (c) Appropriate infrastructure and services for the site are available or have been provided for;
     (d) Environmental protection issues for the site, including air and water quality issues, have been provided for;
     (e) Development regulations have been established to ensure that urban growth will not occur in adjacent nonurban areas;
     (f) Provisions to mitigate adverse impacts on designated agricultural lands, forest lands, and mineral resource lands have been made; and
     (g) The siting of the mobile home park or manufactured housing community does not conflict with development regulations adopted by the county to protect critical areas.
     (3) Final approval of an application to site a mobile home park or manufactured housing community as provided in this section does not constitute an adopted amendment to the comprehensive plan adopted under RCW 36.70A.070.
     (4) For purposes of this section, "eastern Washington" means that portion of the state lying east of the crest of the Cascade mountain range.