The legislature finds that climate change is one of the greatest challenges facing our state and the world today, an existential crisis with major negative impacts on environmental and human health. The legislature further finds that compact and responsibly planned development of residential and public facilities, intended under the growth management act, mitigates climate change through the efficient use of energy resources and the corresponding decrease in greenhouse gas production. This dense development and the concentration of growth in urban areas also prevents sprawl, lessening development's impact on natural resources, ecosystems, and habitats.
The legislature also finds that current legal frameworks work against the act's goal of responsibly planned for growth by prematurely allowing development rights to vest before the validity of plans and regulations can be determined. This flawed process has led to the approval of development that has decreased resource lands and placed a strain on local infrastructure services. Furthermore, it makes it extremely difficult for local jurisdictions to come back into compliance with state laws and leaves citizens with no real remedy to undo these planning violations.
Therefore, the legislature intends to set the effective date of these impactful planning actions to a time that will allow for the thorough review of growth planning decisions intended under the act.
This section adds a new section to an existing chapter 36.70A. Here is the modified chapter for context.
The initial effective date of an action that expands an urban growth area designated under RCW 36.70A.110, removes the designation of agricultural, forest, or mineral resource lands designated under RCW 36.70A.170, creates or expands a limited area of more intensive rural development designated under RCW 36.70A.070(5)(d), establishes a new fully contained community under RCW 36.70A.350, or creates or expands a master planned resort designated under RCW 36.70A.360, is after the latest of the following dates:
60 days after the date of publication of notice of adoption of the comprehensive plan, development regulation, or amendment to the plan or regulation, implementing the action, as provided in RCW 36.70A.290(2); or
If a petition for review to the growth management hearings board is timely filed, upon issuance of the board's final order.