PERMANENT RULES
NATURAL RESOURCES
(Aquatic Resources Program)
Effective Date of Rule: Thirty-one days after filing.
Purpose: This rule-making proposal corrects a few typographical references and increases clarity. No substantive changes were made.
Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 332-30-123 Aquatic land use rental rates for nonwater dependent uses and 332-30-128 Rent review.
Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 79.105.360 Aquatic land use rental rates, 79.105.320 Administrative review of rent.
Adopted under notice filed as WSR 06-12-124 on June 7, 2006.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted Using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Date Adopted: September 5, 2006.
Doug Sutherland
Commissioner of Public Lands
OTS-8958.1
AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending Order 724, filed 2/16/06,
effective 3/19/06)
WAC 332-30-123
Aquatic land use rentals for
water-dependent uses.
All requirements in this section shall
apply to the department and to port districts managing aquatic
lands under a management agreement (WAC 332-30-114). The
annual rental for water-dependent use leases of state-owned
aquatic land shall be: The per unit assessed value of the
upland tax parcel, exclusive of improvements, multiplied by
the units of lease area multiplied by thirty percent
multiplied by the real rate of return. Expressed as a
formula, it is: UV x LA x .30 x r = AR. Each of the letter
variables in this formula have specific criteria for their use
as described below. This step by step presentation covers the
typical situations within each section first, followed by
alternatives for more unique situations.
(1) Overall considerations.
(a) Criteria for use of formula. The formula:
(i) Shall be applied to all leases (([having structural
uses that require a physical interface with upland property
when a water-dependent use occurs on such uplands (in
conjunction with the water-dependent use on the aquatic
lands)] [for water-dependent uses, except as otherwise
provided by statute])) for water-dependent uses, except as
otherwise provided by statute;
(ii) (([Shall be used for remote moorage leases by
selecting an upland parcel as detailed in subsection (2) of
this section;
(iii)])) Shall not be used for areas of filled state-owned aquatic lands having upland characteristics where the department can charge rent for such fills (see WAC 332-30-125), renewable and nonrenewable resource uses, or areas meeting criteria for public use (see WAC 332-30-130); and
(([(iv)] [(iii)])) (iii) Shall cease being used for
leases intended for water-dependent uses when the lease area
is not actively developed for such purposes as specified in
the lease contract. Rental in such situations shall be
determined under the appropriate section of this chapter.
(b) Criteria for applicability to leases. The formula shall be used to calculate rentals for:
(i) All new leases and all pending applications to lease or re-lease as of October 1, 1984;
(ii) All existing leases, where the lease allows calculation of total rent by the appropriate department methods in effect at the time of rental adjustment. Leases in this category previously affected by legislated rental increase limits, shall have the formula applied on the first lease anniversary date after September 30, 1984. Other conditions of these leases not related to rent shall continue until termination or amendment as specified by the lease contract. Leases in this category not previously affected by legislated rental increase limits and scheduled for a rent adjustment after October 1, 1985, shall have the option of retaining the current rent or electing to pay the formula rent under the same conditions as specified in (iii) of this subsection.
(iii) Leases containing specific rent adjustment procedures or schedules shall have the rent determined by the formula when requested by the lessee. Holders of such leases shall be notified prior to their lease anniversary date of both the lease contract rent and formula rent. A selection of the formula rent by the lessee shall require an amendment to the lease which shall include all applicable aquatic land laws and implementing regulations.
(2) Physical criteria of upland tax parcels.
(a) (([Leases used in conjunction with and supportive of
activities on the uplands.])) The upland tax parcel used
shall be (([waterfront] [used in conjunction with the leased
area])) used in conjunction with the leased area and have some
portion with upland characteristics. (([The upland tax parcel
shall be waterfront, except that if the waterfront parcel's
assessed value is inconsistent with the purposes of the lease
as described in subsection (3) of this section, and there is a
landward parcel also used in conjunction with the leased area
that meets all the criteria in this subsection (2) and is
consistent with the purposes of the lease as described in
subsection (3) of this section, then such landward parcel
shall be used.])) The upland tax parcel shall be waterfront,
except that if the waterfront parcel's assessed value is
inconsistent with the purposes of the lease as described in
subsection (3) of this section, and there is a landward parcel
also used in conjunction with the leased area that meets all
the criteria in this subsection (2) and is consistent with the
purposes of the lease as described in subsection (3) of this
section, then such landward parcel shall be used. If no
upland tax parcel meets these criteria, then an alternative
shall be selected under the criteria of subsection (4) of this
section. (([For the purposes of this section, "upland
characteristics" means fill or other improvements or
alterations that allow for development of the property as if
it were uplands and that have been valued by the county
assessor as uplands.])) For the purposes of this section,
"upland characteristics" means fill or other improvements or
alterations that allow for development of the property as if
it were uplands and that have been valued by the county
assessor as uplands.
(b) (([Remote moorage leases. The upland tax parcel used
shall be waterfront, have some portion with upland
characteristics; and] [For leases without a physical
connection with upland property (for example, open water
moorage and anchorage areas, or mitigation or conservation
sites not abutting the shoreline), the upland tax parcel used
shall:])) For leases without a physical connection with upland
property (for example, open water moorage and anchorage areas,
or mitigation or conservation sites not abutting the
shoreline), the upland tax parcel used shall:
(i) If the (([remote moorage] [lease])) lease is
associated with a local upland facility, be an appropriate
parcel at the facility; or
(ii) If the (([remote moorage is similar in nature of use
to moorages in the area] [lease is of the same use class
within the water-dependent category (as listed in subsection
(4) of this section) as at least one other lease within the
county that is])) lease is of the same use class within the
water-dependent category (as listed in subsection (4) of this
section) as at least one other lease within the county that is
associated with a local upland facility, be an appropriate
parcel at the (([nearest such])) nearest such facility; or
(iii) If (([the remote moorage is not associated with a]
[there is no such])) there is no such local upland facility,
be (([the parcel closest in distance to the moorage area] [an
alternate parcel selected under the criteria of subsection (4)
of this section])) an alternate parcel selected under the
criteria of subsection (4) of this section.
(c) Priority of selection. If more than one upland tax parcel meets the physical criteria, the priority of selection shall be:
(i) The parcel that is structurally connected to the lease area;
(ii) The parcel that abuts the lease area;
(iii) The parcel closest in distance to the lease area.
If more than one upland tax parcel remains after this selection priority, then each upland tax parcel will be used for its portion of the lease area. If there is mutual agreement with the lessee, a single upland tax parcel may be used for the entire lease area. When the unit value of the upland tax parcels are equal, only one upland tax parcel shall be used for the lease area.
(d) The unit value of the upland tax parcel shall be expressed in terms of dollars per square foot or dollars per acre, by dividing the assessed value of the upland tax parcel by the number of square feet or acres in the upland tax parcel. This procedure shall be used in all cases even if the value attributable to the upland tax parcel was assessed using some other unit of value, e.g., front footage, or lot value. Only the "land value" category of the assessment record shall be used; not any assessment record category related to improvements.
(3) Consistent assessment. In addition to the criteria
in subsection (2) of this section, the upland tax parcel's
assessed value must be consistent with the purposes of the
lease (([and method of rental establishment])). On this
basis, the following situations (([are examples, but are not
an exclusive list, of what the department])) are examples, but
are not an exclusive list, of what the department will (([be
considered] [consider])) consider inconsistent and shall
either require adjustment as specified, or selection of an
alternative upland tax parcel under subsection (4) of this
section:
(a) The upland tax parcel is not assessed. (See chapter 84.36 RCW Exemptions);
(b) Official date of assessment is more than four years old. (See RCW 84.41.030);
(c) The "assessment" results from a special tax
classification (([or other adjustment by the county
assessor])) or other adjustment by the county assessor not
reflecting fair market value (([as developable upland
property])) as developable upland property. Examples include
classifications under: State-regulated utilities (chapter 84.12 RCW), Timber and forest lands (chapter 84.33 RCW), and
Open space (chapter 84.34 RCW). This inconsistency may be
corrected by substituting the (([full] [fair market])) fair
market value for the parcel if such value is part of the
assessment records;
(d) If the assessed valuation of the upland tax parcel to be used is under appeal as a matter of record before any county or state agency, the valuation on the assessor's records shall be used, however, any changes in valuation resulting from such appeal will result in an equitable adjustment of future rental;
(e) The majority of the upland tax parcel area is not
used (([for] [in conjunction with])) in conjunction with a
water-dependent (([purpose] [use])) use. This inconsistency
may be corrected by using the value and area of the portion of
the upland tax parcel that is used (([for] [in conjunction
with])) in conjunction with water-dependent (([purposes]
[use])) use if this portion can be segregated from the
assessment records; and
(f) The size of the upland tax parcel in acres or square
feet is not known or its small size results in a nominal
valuation, e.g., unbuildable lot(([.][; and]
[(g) The assessed value reflects the presence of contamination on the uplands, when the contamination on the uplands does not impair the use of the leasehold. This inconsistency may be corrected by substituting the full value for the upland parcel as if there were no contamination, if such value is part of the assessment records.])); and
(g) The assessed value reflects the presence of contamination on the uplands, when the contamination on the uplands does not impair the use of the leasehold. This inconsistency may be corrected by substituting the full value for the upland parcel as if there were no contamination, if such value is part of the assessment records.
(4) Selection of the nearest comparable upland tax parcel. When the upland tax parcel does not meet the physical criteria or has an inconsistent assessment that can't be corrected from the assessment records, an alternative upland tax parcel shall be selected which meets the criteria. The nearest upland tax parcel shall be determined by measurement along the shoreline from the inconsistent upland tax parcel.
(a) The alternative upland tax parcel shall be located by order of selection priority:
(i) Within the same city as the lease area, and if not applicable or found;
(ii) Within the same county and water body as the lease area, and if not found;
(iii) Within the same county on similar bodies of water, and if not found;
(iv) Within the state.
(b) Within each locational priority of (a) of this subsection, the priority for a comparable upland tax parcel shall be:
(i) The same use class within the water-dependent
category as the lease area use(([;][. For the purposes of
this section, some examples of use classes include:
(A) Marinas and recreational moorage, including recreational boat launches and local upland facilities for open water moorage;
(B) Industrial and commercial shipping terminals and moorage;
(C) Conservation and natural resource protection areas;
(D) Mitigation sites; and
(E) For water-oriented floating homes, the same use class means any floating home;])). For the purposes of this section, some examples of use classes include:
(A) Marinas and recreational moorage, including recreational boat launches and local upland facilities for open water moorage;
(B) Industrial and commercial shipping terminals and moorage;
(C) Conservation and natural resource protection areas;
(D) Mitigation sites; and
(E) For water-oriented floating homes, the same use class means any floating home;
(ii) Any water-dependent use within the same upland zoning;
(iii) Any water-dependent use; and
(iv) Any water-oriented use.
(5) Aquatic land lease area. The area under lease shall be expressed in square feet or acres.
(a) Where more than one use class separately exist on a lease area, the formula shall only be applied to the water-dependent use area. Other use areas of the lease shall be treated according to the regulations for the specific use.
(b) If a water-dependent and a nonwater-dependent use exist on the same portion of the lease, the rent for such portion shall be negotiated taking into account the proportion of the improvements each use occupies.
(6) Real rate of return.
(a) Until July 1, 1989, the real rate of return to be used in the formula shall be five percent.
(b) On July 1, 1989, and on each July 1 thereafter the department shall calculate the real rate of return for that fiscal year under the following limitations:
(i) It shall not change by more than one percentage point from the rate in effect for the previous fiscal year; and
(ii) It shall not be greater than seven percent nor less than three percent.
(7) Annual inflation adjustment of rent. The department shall use the inflation rate on a fiscal year basis e.g., the inflation rate for calendar year 1984 shall be used during the period July 1, 1985 through June 30, 1986. The rate will be published in a newspaper of record. Adjustment to the annual rent of a lease shall occur on the anniversary date of the lease except when the rent is redetermined under subsection (9) of this section. The inflation adjustment each year is the inflation rate times the previous year's rent except in cases of stairstepping.
(8) Stairstepping rental changes.
(a) Initial increases for leases in effect on October 1, 1984. If the application of the formula results in an increase of more than one hundred dollars and more than thirty-three percent, stairstepping to the formula rent shall occur over the first three years in amounts equal to thirty-three percent of the difference between each year's inflation adjusted formula rent and the previous rent.
| Example | |||||||||||||
| Previous rent = $100.00 | Formula rent =$403.00 | Inflation = 5%/yr. |
|||||||||||
| Yr. | Formula Rent |
Previous Rent | Difference | 33% | Stairstep Rent |
||||||||
| 1 | $403.00 | $100.00 | $303.00 | $100.00 | $200.00 | ||||||||
| 2 | 423.15 | 100.00 | 323.15 | 106.64 | 306.64 | ||||||||
| 3 | 444.31 | 100.00 | 344.31 | 113.62 | 420.26 | ||||||||
| 4 | 466.52 | - | - | - | 466.52 | ||||||||
| Example | ||||||||||||
| Previous rent =$403.00 | Formula rent = $100.00 | Inflation = 5%/yr. |
||||||||||
| Yr. | Previous Rent | Formula Rent | Difference | 33% | Stairstep Rent |
|||||||
| 1 | $403.00 | $100.00 | $303.00 | $100.00 | $303.00 | |||||||
| 2 | 403.00 | 105.00 | 298.00 | 98.34 | 204.66 | |||||||
| 3 | 403.00 | 110.25 | 292.75 | 96.61 | 108.05 | |||||||
| 4 | - | 115.76 | - | - | 115.76 | |||||||
(d) If a lease in effect on October 1, 1984, contains a nonwater-dependent use in addition to a water-dependent or oriented use, the stairstepping provisions of (a) or (b) of this subsection:
(i) Shall apply to the water-dependent use area if it exists separately (see subsection (5)(a) of this section);
(ii) Shall not apply to any portion of the lease area jointly occupied by a water-dependent and nonwater-dependent use (see subsection (5)(b) of this section).
(e) Subsequent increases. After completion of any initial stairstepping under (a) and (b) of this subsection due to the first application of the formula, the rent for any lease or portion thereof calculated by the formula shall not increase by more than fifty percent per unit area from the previous year's per unit area rent.
(f) All initial stairstepping of rentals shall only occur during the term of existing leases.
(9) The annual rental shall be redetermined by the formula every four years or as provided by the existing lease language. If an existing lease calls for redetermination of rental during an initial stairstepping period, it shall be determined on the scheduled date and applied (with inflation adjustments) at the end of the initial stairstep period.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 79.105.360. 06-06-005 (Order 724), § 332-30-123, filed 2/16/06, effective 3/19/06. Statutory Authority: RCW 79.90.540. 05-23-033, § 332-30-123, filed 11/8/05, effective 12/9/05. Statutory Authority: 1984 c 221 and RCW 79.90.540. 84-23-014 (Resolution No. 470), § 332-30-123, filed 11/9/84.]
(1) Eligibility to request review. Any lessee or applicant to lease or release state-owned aquatic lands may request review of any rent proposed to be charged by the department.
(2) Dispute officers. The manager of the marine lands division will be the rental dispute officer (RDO). The supervisor of the department, or his designee, will be the rental dispute appeals officer (RDAO).
(3) Submittals. A request for review of the rent (an original and two copies) shall be submitted within thirty days of notification by the department of the rent due from the lessee/applicant. The request for review shall contain sufficient information for the officers to make a decision on the appropriateness of the rent initially determined by the department. The burden of proof for showing that the rent is incorrect shall rest with the lessee/applicant.
(4) Rental due. The request for review shall be accompanied by one year's rent payment based on the preceding year's rate, or a portion thereof as determined by RCW 79.105.340; or based on the rate proposed by the department, or a portion thereof as determined by RCW 79.105.340, whichever is less. The applicant shall pay any additional rent or be entitled to a refund, with interest, within thirty days after completion of the review process provided in this section.
(5) Contents of request. The request for review shall state what the lessee/applicant believes the rent should be and shall contain, at the minimum, all necessary documentation to justify the lessee/applicant's position. This information shall include but not be limited to:
(a) Rationale. Why the rent established by the department is inappropriate. The supporting documentation for nonwater-dependent leases may include appraisals by professionally accredited appraisers.
(b) Lease information. A description of state-owned aquatic land under lease which shall include, but not be limited to:
(i) Lease or application number;
(ii) Map showing location of lease or proposed lease;
(iii) Legal description of lease area including area of lease;
(iv) The permitted or intended use on the leasehold; and
(v) The actual or current use on the leasehold premises.
(c) Substitute upland parcel. A lessee/applicant whose lease rent is determined according to RCW 79.105.240 (water-dependent leases) and who disputes the choice of the upland parcel as provided by WAC 332-30-123, shall indicate the upland parcel that should be substituted in the rental determination and shall provide the following information on the parcel:
(i) The county parcel number;
(ii) Its assessed value;
(iii) Its area in square feet or acres;
(iv) A map showing the location of the parcel; and
(v) A statement indicating the land use on the parcel and justifying why the parcel should be substituted.
(6) RDO review.
(a) The RDO shall evaluate the request for review within fifteen days of filing to determine if any further support materials are needed from the lessee/applicant or the department.
(b) The lessee/applicant or the department shall provide any needed materials to the RDO within thirty days of receiving a request from the RDO.
(c) The RDO may, at any time during the review, order a conference between the lessee/applicant and department staff to try to settle the rent dispute.
(d) The RDO shall issue a decision within sixty days of filing of the request. Such decision shall contain findings of fact for the decision. If a decision cannot be issued within that time, the lessee/applicant's request will automatically be granted and the rent proposed by the lessee/applicant will be the rent for the lease until the next rent revaluation; provided that, the RDO may extend the review period for one sixty-day period.
(7) RDAO review.
(a) The (([RDAO may, within fifteen days of the final
decision by the RDO, be petitioned to review]
[lessee/applicant may submit a petition within thirty days to
the rental dispute appeals officer (RDAO) for review of]))
lessee/applicant may submit a petition within thirty days to
the rental dispute appeals officer (RDAO) for review of that
decision.
(b) If the RDAO declines to review the petition on the decision of the RDO, the RDO's decision shall be the final decision of the RDAO.
(c) If the RDAO consents to review the decision, the
review may only consider the factual record before the RDO and
the written findings and decision of the RDO. The RDAO shall
issue a decision on the petition containing written findings
within (([thirty] [sixty])) sixty days of the filing of the
petition. (([The RDAO may extend the review period for one
sixty-day period. This decision shall be the RDAO's final
decision.])) The RDAO may extend the review period for one
sixty-day period. This decision shall be the RDAO's final
decision. This decision shall be the RDAO's final decision.
(8) Board review.
(a) (([The board of natural resources (board) may, within
fifteen days of the final RDAO decision, be petitioned to
review that decision.] [The lessee/applicant may submit a
petition within thirty days to the board of natural resources
(board) for review of the RDAO decision.])) The
lessee/applicant may submit a petition within thirty days to
the board of natural resources (board) for review of the RDAO
decision.
(b) If the board declines to review the petition, the RDAO decision shall be the final decision of the board.
(c) If the board decides to review the petition, the
department and the lessee/applicant shall present written
statements on the final decision of the RDAO within
(([fifteen] [thirty])) thirty days of the decision to review. The board may request oral statements from the
lessee/applicant or the department if the board decides a
decision cannot be made solely on the written statements.
(d) The board shall issue a decision on the petition
within (([sixty] [ninety])) ninety days of the filing of the
written statements by the lessee/applicant and the department.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 79.105.360. 06-06-005 (Order 724), § 332-30-128, filed 2/16/06, effective 3/19/06. Statutory Authority: RCW 79.90.520. 06-01-075 (Resolution No. 1186), § 332-30-128, filed 12/20/05, effective 1/20/06. Statutory Authority: RCW 79.90.105, 79.90.300, 79.90.455, 79.90.460, 79.90.470, 79.90.475, 79.90.520, 79.68.010, 79.68.68 [79.68.080], and chapter 79.93 RCW. 85-22-066 (Resolution No. 500), § 332-30-128, filed 11/5/85.]