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  Originally enacted in 1990 and 1991, the GMA establishes land-use designation and environmental protection requirements for all Washington counties and cities.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 28 counties, and the cities within those counties, that are obligated to satisfy all planning requirements of the GMA.

Minimum Residential Parking Requirements.

Counties and cities that plan under the GMA may impose minimum residential parking requirements for housing units constructed after July 1, 2019.

For housing units that are affordable to very low-income or extremely low-income individuals, and that are located within 0.25 miles of a major transit stop that receives transit at least two times per hour for 12 or more hours a day, minimum residential parking requirements may be no greater than one parking space per bedroom or 0.75 spaces per unit.

A city may require a developer to sign a covenant prohibiting the rental of a unit subject to this parking minimum for any purpose other than housing for very low-income or extremely low-income individuals.  The covenant must also address price restrictions and household income limits.  A city may require additional parking if the city determines a particular housing unit is in an area with lack of access to street parking capacity, physical space impediments, or other reasons supported by evidence.

A city may not impose minimum residential parking requirements for housing units that are within 0.25 miles of a transit stop that receives transit service at least four times per hour for 12 or more hours, and are specifically for seniors or people with disabilities, subject to exceptions. 

For market rate multifamily housing units located within 0.25 miles of a transit stop that receives transit service from at least one route, and that provides service at least four times per hour for 12 or more hours per day, minimum parking requirements may not be greater than one parking space per bedroom or 0.75 spaces per unit.  A city may require additional parking if the city determines a particular housing unit is in an area with lack of access to street parking capacity, physical space impediments, or other reasons supported by evidence.

Existing minimum residential parking requirements for counties and cities planning under the GMA are removed.

Counties and cities planning under the GMA may not impose minimum parking requirements for new residential or commercial developments in the following circumstances:

• within 0.5 miles of a major transit stop that receives level 1 or 2 transit service; and
• within 0.25 miles of a major transit stop that receives level 3 transit service.

Planning counties and cities may imposes minimum parking requirements on an individual project on such developments if the county or city makes written findings, within 30 days of the receipt of a completed application, that not imposing minimum parking requirements would have a substantially negative impact on existing on-site residential or commercial parking within 0.5 miles of the development project.  A city or county is not required to submit written findings if the following criteria are met:

• the housing development dedicates a minimum of 20 percent of the total number of housing units to very low-income, low-income, or moderate-income households for a minimum of 12 years; students; the elderly; or people with disabilities; or
• the housing development contains fewer than 20 housing units.

The fact that a project permit application does not provide parking in compliance with the above requirements may not be treated as a basis for the issuance of a determination of significance under the State Environmental Policy Act.

Transit service levels 1-6 are defined.