|
Land Use & Housing
AWC Priority
Refinements to the Land Use and Housing Elements of GMA Plans (ESHB
1727)
This bill contains language in Sec. 4 that directs cities and
counties to work more collaboratively on setting or changing urban
growth area boundaries. ESHB 1727 also includes language
suggesting that cities in King, Pierce, Snohomish, Kitsap, Thurston,
Clark and Spokane counties may ask their county to consult with them
to create consistent development standards in abutting
unincorporated portions of their urban growth areas. Reports
on progress in reaching any agreements are to be reported to the
Legislature by the end of 2007.
Other provisions of this Realtors’ top priority address some
changes in what local GMA Housing and Land Use elements of
Comprehensive Plans should include. This bill also outlines an
optional process that a county and its cities may use to distribute
state-projected population targets used as the basis of GMA 20-year
plans. AWC does not oppose either of these provisions. None of these
aforementioned provisions appear controversial.
However, there are several other provisions causing problems for
the bill. One concerns issues in rural areas regarding so-called
"rural villages" as well as conditions for establishing "wetland
mitigation banks on farmland." Another provision addresses an issue
between the city of Maple Valley and King County concerning which
one of them should control the development future of an essentially
vacant 160 acre county-owned parcel in the middle of the city that
is not "in" the city or its urban growth area.
AWC is hoping the bill passes the Senate in some form and will
continue to be worked out and delivered to the Governor for
signature. For more information, please contact Dave Williams,
davew@awcnet.org.
AWC Priority
Timing of Accrual of Property Tax Revenues (ESSB
5836)
This bill expedites the transfer of library and fire district
property taxes in areas containing these services when annexed to a
city. The Senate version was heard and passed from the House Local
Government Committee on Thursday, March 29 and was amended to remove
the Senate provision aimed at changing the annexation process in
Aberdeen. The bill passed the House unanimously on April 6 and now
goes back to the Senate for concurrence, which is expected to happen
quickly.
SHB 1458 requires new notice requirements to property
owners before condemnation decisions/actions may occur. The bill has
passed both chambers and was delivered to the Governor for signature
on April 11. AWC supports this bill.
ESHB 2016 limits the use of eminent domain for economic
development purposes. AWC is supportive of provisions allowing for
the resale of property back to the original owner if the property is
not used for the purpose for which it was intended. We are less
comfortable with provisions dealing with changed definitions about
what constitutes economic development, which attempt to codify
current case law regarding eminent domain.
We were given an opportunity to help craft an amended version of
the bill before further Senate action and appreciate that several of
our ideas were incorporated.
The bill must be approved by 5 pm on Friday, April 13; as of this
writing, it is not clear whether that will happen. AWC continues to
evaluate the bill as it passed the House and welcomes input from
interested cities.
For more information or to provide input, please contact either
Sheila Gall,
sheilag@awcnet.org, or Dave Williams,
davew@awcnet.org.
AWC Priority
Regulating House-Banked Social Card Games (ESSB
5558)
ESSB 5558 is on the House calendar awaiting action. It
grandfathers existing city moratoriums that limit the number of card
rooms. Seventeen cities currently have some form of a grandfather
clause that must be addressed before legal action is taken against
the city, likely voiding their moratorium. The bill also provides
limited zoning authority and retains local governments’ ability to
ban gambling establishments.
ESSB 5558 was amended by the House Commerce and Labor
Committee to eliminate the mandate for the use of a referendum
associated with the annexation of areas that include a card room and
the subsequent ban.
AWC supposrt this bill, which has been on the calendar for a
number of days without movement. House leadership is nervous about
unintended consequences associated with the cap on gambling
licenses. The bill must be approved by 5 pm on Friday, April 13, and
passage is clearly in doubt.
Contact Jim Justin at
jimj@awcnet.org or Sheila Gall at
sheilag@awcnet.org with questions or comments.
[
previous article ] [ return
to top ] [
next article ]
|
