FINAL BILL REPORT

ESHB 2342

C 113 L 20

Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description: Aligning the timing of comprehensive plan updates required by the growth management act with the timing of shoreline master program updates required by the shoreline management act.

Sponsors: House Committee on Environment & Energy (originally sponsored by Representatives Fitzgibbon, Leavitt, Tharinger, Walen, Doglio, Pollet and Appleton).

House Committee on Environment & Energy

Senate Committee on Environment, Energy & Technology

Senate Committee on Ways & Means

Background:

Growth Management Act.

The Growth Management Act (GMA) is the comprehensive land-use planning framework for counties and cities in Washington. Originally enacted in 1990 and 1991, the GMA establishes land-use designation and environmental protection requirements for all Washington counties and cities. The GMA also establishes a significantly wider array of planning duties for the 28 counties, and the cities within those counties, that are obligated to satisfy all planning requirements of the GMA. These jurisdictions are sometimes said to be "fully planning" under the GMA.

The GMA directs fully planning jurisdictions to adopt internally consistent comprehensive land-use plans. Comprehensive plans are implemented through locally adopted development regulations, and both the plans and the local regulations are subject to review and revision requirements prescribed in the GMA.

Growth Management Act – Comprehensive Plan Updates.

Counties and cities are required to review and, if needed, revise their comprehensive plans and development regulations every eight years. Counties, and the cities within them, are grouped into four different year classes for the purposes of commencing the review and revision of their comprehensive plans. King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties are required to review and revise their comprehensive plans no later than June 30, 2015, and every eight years thereafter. Ten other counties—Clallam, Clark, Island, Jefferson, Kitsap, Mason, San Juan, Skagit, Thurston, and Whatcom—are required to review and revise their comprehensive plans no later than June 30, 2016, and every eight years thereafter. The remaining counties are divided into the 2017 and 2018 year classes for comprehensive plan review and revision.

Shoreline Management Program.

The Shoreline Management Act (SMA) involves a cooperative regulatory approach between local governments and the state. The Department of Ecology (Ecology) and local governments are authorized to adopt necessary and appropriate rules for implementing the provisions of the SMA. At the local level, SMA regulations are developed in local shoreline master programs (master programs). All counties and cities with shorelines of the state are required to adopt master programs that regulate land-use activities in shoreline areas of the state.

A master program, or a segment thereof, becomes effective when approved by Ecology. In accordance with a schedule established in the SMA, counties and cities must develop or amend master programs every eight years. As with comprehensive plan updates under the GMA, counties and cities are grouped into four different year classes—2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014, and every eight years thereafter—for purposes of their shoreline master program periodic review schedule.

Summary:

Growth Management Act – Comprehensive Plan Updates.

The following counties, and the cities within them, are required to review and, if needed, revise their comprehensive plans and development regulations by June 30, 2024, and every eight years thereafter: King, Kitsap, Pierce, and Snohomish.

The following counties, and the cities within them, are required to review and, if needed, revise their comprehensive plans and development regulations by June 30, 2025, and every eight years thereafter: Clallam, Clark, Island, Jefferson, Lewis, Mason, San Juan, Skagit, Thurston, and Whatcom.

The following counties, and the cities within them, are required to review and, if needed, revise their comprehensive plans and development regulations by June 30, 2026, and every eight years thereafter: Benton, Chelan, Cowlitz, Douglas, Franklin, Kittitas, Skamania, Spokane, Walla Walla, and Yakima.

The following counties, and the cities within them, are required to review and, if needed, revise their comprehensive plans and development regulations by June 30, 2027, and every eight years thereafter: Adams, Asotin, Columbia, Ferry, Garfield, Grant, Grays Harbor, Klickitat, Lincoln, Okanogan, Pacific, Pend Oreille, Stevens, Wahkiakum, and Whitman.

Shoreline Management Act – Shoreline Master Program Updates.

The following counties, and the cities within them, are required to review and, if necessary, revise their shoreline master programs by June 30, 2028, and every eight years thereafter: King, Kitsap, Pierce, and Snohomish.

The following counties, and the cities within them, are required to review and, if necessary, revise their shoreline master programs by June 30, 2029, and every eight years thereafter: Clallam, Clark, Island, Jefferson, Lewis, Mason, San Juan, Skagit, Thurston, and Whatcom.

The following counties, and the cities within them, are required to review and, if necessary, revise their shoreline master programs by June 30, 2030, and every eight years thereafter: Benton, Chelan, Cowlitz, Douglas, Franklin, Kittitas, Skamania, Spokane, Walla Walla, and Yakima.

The following counties, and the cities within them, are required to review and, if necessary, revise their shoreline master programs by June 30, 2031, and every eight years thereafter: Adams, Asotin, Columbia, Ferry, Garfield, Grant, Grays Harbor, Klickitat, Lincoln, Okanogan, Pacific, Pend Oreille, Stevens, Wahkiakum, and Whitman.

Votes on Final Passage: