wa-law.org > bill > 2023-24 > HB 2451 > Original Bill
It is the intent of the legislature:
To ensure that adequate facilities are available to serve new growth and development;
To promote orderly growth and development by establishing standards by which counties, cities, and towns may require, by ordinance, that new growth and development pay a proportionate share of the cost of new facilities needed to serve new growth and development; and
To ensure that impact fees are imposed through established procedures and criteria so that specific developments do not pay arbitrary fees or duplicative fees for the same impact.
Counties, cities, and towns that are required or choose to plan under RCW 36.70A.040 are authorized to impose impact fees on development activity as part of the financing for public facilities, provided that the financing for system improvements to serve new development must provide for a balance between impact fees and other sources of public funds and cannot rely solely on impact fees.
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(A) Deferring collection of the impact fee payment until final inspection;
(B) Deferring collection of the impact fee payment until certificate of occupancy or equivalent certification; or
(C) Deferring collection of the impact fee payment until the time of closing of the first sale of the property occurring after the issuance of the applicable building permit.
ii. Counties, cities, and towns utilizing the deferral process required by this subsection (3)(a) may withhold certification of final inspection, certificate of occupancy, or equivalent certification until the impact fees have been paid in full.
iii. The amount of impact fees that may be deferred under this subsection (3) must be determined by the fees in effect at the time the applicant applies for a deferral.
iv. Unless an agreement to the contrary is reached between the buyer and seller, the payment of impact fees due at closing of a sale must be made from the seller's proceeds. In the absence of an agreement to the contrary, the seller bears strict liability for the payment of the impact fees.
b. The term of an impact fee deferral under this subsection (3) may not exceed eighteen months from the date of building permit issuance.
c. Except as may otherwise be authorized in accordance with (f) of this subsection (3), an applicant seeking a deferral under this subsection (3) must grant and record a deferred impact fee lien against the property in favor of the county, city, or town in the amount of the deferred impact fee. The deferred impact fee lien, which must include the legal description, tax account number, and address of the property, must also be:
i. In a form approved by the county, city, or town;
ii. Signed by all owners of the property, with all signatures acknowledged as required for a deed, and recorded in the county where the property is located;
iii. Binding on all successors in title after the recordation; and
iv. Junior and subordinate to one mortgage for the purpose of construction upon the same real property granted by the person who applied for the deferral of impact fees.
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i. If impact fees are not paid in accordance with a deferral authorized by this subsection (3), and in accordance with the term provisions established in (b) of this subsection (3), the county, city, or town may institute foreclosure proceedings in accordance with chapter 61.12 RCW.
ii. If the county, city, or town does not institute foreclosure proceedings for unpaid school impact fees within forty-five days after receiving notice from a school district requesting that it do so, the district may institute foreclosure proceedings with respect to the unpaid impact fees.
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i. Upon receipt of final payment of all deferred impact fees for a property, the county, city, or town must execute a release of deferred impact fee lien for the property. The property owner at the time of the release, at his or her expense, is responsible for recording the lien release.
ii. The extinguishment of a deferred impact fee lien by the foreclosure of a lien having priority does not affect the obligation to pay the impact fees as a condition of final inspection, certificate of occupancy, or equivalent certification, or at the time of closing of the first sale.
f. A county, city, or town with an impact fee deferral process on or before April 1, 2015, is exempt from the requirements of this subsection (3) if the deferral process delays all impact fees and remains in effect after September 1, 2016.
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i. Each applicant for a single-family residential construction permit, in accordance with his or her contractor registration number or other unique identification number, is entitled to annually receive deferrals under this subsection (3) for the first twenty single-family residential construction building permits per county, city, or town. A county, city, or town, however, may elect, by ordinance, to defer more than twenty single-family residential construction building permits for an applicant. If the county, city, or town collects impact fees on behalf of one or more school districts for which the collection of impact fees could be delayed, the county, city, or town must consult with the district or districts about the additional deferrals. A county, city, or town considering additional deferrals must give substantial weight to recommendations of each applicable school district regarding the number of additional deferrals. If the county, city, or town disagrees with the recommendations of one or more school districts, the county, city, or town must provide the district or districts with a written rationale for its decision.
ii. For purposes of this subsection (3)(g), an "applicant" includes an entity that controls the applicant, is controlled by the applicant, or is under common control with the applicant.
h. Counties, cities, and towns may collect reasonable administrative fees to implement this subsection (3) from permit applicants who are seeking to delay the payment of impact fees under this subsection (3).
i. In accordance with RCW 43.31.980, counties, cities, and towns must cooperate with and provide requested data, materials, and assistance to the department of commerce and the joint legislative audit and review committee.
The impact fees:
Shall only be imposed for system improvements that are reasonably related to the new development;
Shall not exceed a proportionate share of the costs of system improvements that are reasonably related to the new development; and
Shall be used for system improvements that will reasonably benefit the new development.
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Impact fees may be collected and spent only for the public facilities defined in RCW 82.02.090 which are addressed by a capital facilities plan element of a comprehensive land use plan adopted pursuant to the provisions of RCW 36.70A.070 or the provisions for comprehensive plan adoption contained in chapter 36.70, 35.63, or 35A.63 RCW. After the date a county, city, or town is required to adopt its development regulations under chapter 36.70A RCW, continued authorization to collect and expend impact fees is contingent on the county, city, or town adopting or revising a comprehensive plan in compliance with RCW 36.70A.070, and on the capital facilities plan identifying:
Deficiencies in public facilities serving existing development and the means by which existing deficiencies will be eliminated within a reasonable period of time;
Additional demands placed on existing public facilities by new development; and
Additional public facility improvements required to serve new development.
If the capital facilities plan of the county, city, or town is complete other than for the inclusion of those elements which are the responsibility of a special district, the county, city, or town may impose impact fees to address those public facility needs for which the county, city, or town is responsible.
Any update or amendment to an impact fee schedule adopted pursuant to RCW 82.02.060 may not increase the impact fee imposed by the schedule by a percentage greater than the percentage increase in the consumer price index in the time since the schedule was last adopted, updated, or amended. For purposes of this subsection, "consumer price index" means the average consumer price index for the most recent 12-month period, Seattle, Washington area, for urban wage earners and clerical workers, all items, compiled by the bureau of labor and statistics, United States department of labor.
Impact fee receipts shall be earmarked specifically and retained in special interest-bearing accounts. Separate accounts shall be established for each type of public facility for which impact fees are collected. All interest shall be retained in the account and expended for the purpose or purposes for which the impact fees were imposed. By July 1st of each year, each county, city, or town imposing impact fees shall provide a report to the department of commerce on each impact fee account showing the source and amount of all moneys collected, earned, or received and system improvements that were financed in whole or in part by impact fees over the prior calendar year. The department of commerce must produce an annual report by December 1st of each year compiling the information received from jurisdictions imposing impact fees.
Impact fees for system improvements shall be expended only in conformance with the capital facilities plan element of the comprehensive plan.
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Except as provided otherwise by (b) of this subsection, impact fees shall be expended or encumbered for a permissible use within ten years of receipt, unless there exists an extraordinary and compelling reason for fees to be held longer than ten years. Such extraordinary or compelling reasons shall be identified in written findings by the governing body of the county, city, or town.
School impact fees must be expended or encumbered for a permissible use within ten years of receipt, unless there exists an extraordinary and compelling reason for fees to be held longer than ten years. Such extraordinary or compelling reasons shall be identified in written findings by the governing body of the county, city, or town.
Impact fees may be paid under protest in order to obtain a permit or other approval of development activity.
Each county, city, or town that imposes impact fees shall provide for an administrative appeals process for the appeal of an impact fee; the process may follow the appeal process for the underlying development approval or the county, city, or town may establish a separate appeals process. The impact fee may be modified upon a determination that it is proper to do so based on principles of fairness. The county, city, or town may provide for the resolution of disputes regarding impact fees by arbitration.
Beginning December 1, 2018, and each year thereafter, the department of commerce must prepare an annual report on the impact fee deferral process established in RCW 82.02.050(3). The report must include: (a) The number of deferrals requested of and issued by counties, cities, and towns; (b) the number of deferrals that were not fully and timely paid; and (c) other information as deemed appropriate.
The department of commerce must also compile an annual report by December 1st of each year compiling the information it has received under RCW 82.02.070 from each jurisdiction imposing impact fees.
The reports required by this section must, in accordance with RCW 43.01.036, be submitted to the appropriate committees of the house of representatives and the senate.
The comprehensive plan of a county or city that is required or chooses to plan under RCW 36.70A.040 shall consist of a map or maps, and descriptive text covering objectives, principles, and standards used to develop the comprehensive plan. The plan shall be an internally consistent document and all elements shall be consistent with the future land use map. A comprehensive plan shall be adopted and amended with public participation as provided in RCW 36.70A.140. Each comprehensive plan shall include a plan, scheme, or design for each of the following:
A land use element designating the proposed general distribution and general location and extent of the uses of land, where appropriate, for agriculture, timber production, housing, commerce, industry, recreation, open spaces and green spaces, urban and community forests within the urban growth area, general aviation airports, public utilities, public facilities, and other land uses. The land use element shall include population densities, building intensities, and estimates of future population growth. The land use element shall provide for protection of the quality and quantity of groundwater used for public water supplies. The land use element must give special consideration to achieving environmental justice in its goals and policies, including efforts to avoid creating or worsening environmental health disparities. Wherever possible, the land use element should consider utilizing urban planning approaches that promote physical activity and reduce per capita vehicle miles traveled within the jurisdiction, but without increasing greenhouse gas emissions elsewhere in the state. Where applicable, the land use element shall review drainage, flooding, and stormwater runoff in the area and nearby jurisdictions and provide guidance for corrective actions to mitigate or cleanse those discharges that pollute waters of the state, including Puget Sound or waters entering Puget Sound. The land use element must reduce and mitigate the risk to lives and property posed by wildfires by using land use planning tools, which may include, but are not limited to, adoption of portions or all of the wildland urban interface code developed by the international code council or developing building and maintenance standards consistent with the firewise USA program or similar program designed to reduce wildfire risk, reducing wildfire risks to residential development in high risk areas and the wildland urban interface area, separating human development from wildfire prone landscapes, and protecting existing residential development and infrastructure through community wildfire preparedness and fire adaptation measures.
A housing element ensuring the vitality and character of established residential neighborhoods that:
Includes an inventory and analysis of existing and projected housing needs that identifies the number of housing units necessary to manage projected growth, as provided by the department of commerce, including:
Units for moderate, low, very low, and extremely low-income households; and
Emergency housing, emergency shelters, and permanent supportive housing;
Includes a statement of goals, policies, objectives, and mandatory provisions for the preservation, improvement, and development of housing, including single-family residences, and within an urban growth area boundary, moderate density housing options including, but not limited to, duplexes, triplexes, and townhomes;
Identifies sufficient capacity of land for housing including, but not limited to, government-assisted housing, housing for moderate, low, very low, and extremely low-income households, manufactured housing, multifamily housing, group homes, foster care facilities, emergency housing, emergency shelters, permanent supportive housing, and within an urban growth area boundary, consideration of duplexes, triplexes, and townhomes;
Makes adequate provisions for existing and projected needs of all economic segments of the community, including:
Incorporating consideration for low, very low, extremely low, and moderate-income households;
Documenting programs and actions needed to achieve housing availability including gaps in local funding, barriers such as development regulations, and other limitations;
Consideration of housing locations in relation to employment location; and
Consideration of the role of accessory dwelling units in meeting housing needs;
Identifies local policies and regulations that result in racially disparate impacts, displacement, and exclusion in housing, including:
Zoning that may have a discriminatory effect;
Disinvestment; and
Infrastructure availability;
Identifies and implements policies and regulations to address and begin to undo racially disparate impacts, displacement, and exclusion in housing caused by local policies, plans, and actions;
Identifies areas that may be at higher risk of displacement from market forces that occur with changes to zoning development regulations and capital investments; and
Establishes antidisplacement policies, with consideration given to the preservation of historical and cultural communities as well as investments in low, very low, extremely low, and moderate-income housing; equitable development initiatives; inclusionary zoning; community planning requirements; tenant protections; land disposition policies; and consideration of land that may be used for affordable housing.
In counties and cities subject to the review and evaluation requirements of RCW 36.70A.215, any revision to the housing element shall include consideration of prior review and evaluation reports and any reasonable measures identified. The housing element should link jurisdictional goals with overall county goals to ensure that the housing element goals are met.
The adoption of ordinances, development regulations and amendments to such regulations, and other nonproject actions taken by a city that is required or chooses to plan under RCW 36.70A.040 that increase housing capacity, increase housing affordability, and mitigate displacement as required under this subsection (2) and that apply outside of critical areas are not subject to administrative or judicial appeal under chapter 43.21C RCW unless the adoption of such ordinances, development regulations and amendments to such regulations, or other nonproject actions has a probable significant adverse impact on fish habitat.
The county or city shall identify all public entities that own capital facilities and endeavor in good faith to work with other public entities, such as special purpose districts, to gather and include within its capital facilities element the information required by this subsection. If, after a good faith effort, the county or city is unable to gather the information required by this subsection from the other public entities, the failure to include such information in its capital facilities element cannot be grounds for a finding of noncompliance or invalidity under chapter 228, Laws of 2023. A good faith effort must, at a minimum, include consulting the public entity's capital facility or system plans and emailing and calling the staff of the public entity.
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A utilities element consisting of the general location, proposed location, and capacity of all existing and proposed utilities including, but not limited to, electrical, telecommunications, and natural gas systems.
The county or city shall identify all public entities that own utility systems and endeavor in good faith to work with other public entities, such as special purpose districts, to gather and include within its utilities element the information required in (a) of this subsection. However, if, after a good faith effort, the county or city is unable to gather the information required in (a) of this subsection from the other public entities, the failure to include such information in the utilities element shall not be grounds for a finding of noncompliance or invalidity under chapter 228, Laws of 2023. A good faith effort must, at a minimum, include consulting the public entity's capital facility or system plans, and emailing and calling the staff of the public entity.
Rural element. Counties shall include a rural element including lands that are not designated for urban growth, agriculture, forest, or mineral resources. The following provisions shall apply to the rural element:
Growth management act goals and local circumstances. Because circumstances vary from county to county, in establishing patterns of rural densities and uses, a county may consider local circumstances, but shall develop a written record explaining how the rural element harmonizes the planning goals in RCW 36.70A.020 and meets the requirements of this chapter.
Rural development. The rural element shall permit rural development, forestry, and agriculture in rural areas. The rural element shall provide for a variety of rural densities, uses, essential public facilities, and rural governmental services needed to serve the permitted densities and uses. To achieve a variety of rural densities and uses, counties may provide for clustering, density transfer, design guidelines, conservation easements, and other innovative techniques that will accommodate appropriate rural economic advancement, densities, and uses that are not characterized by urban growth and that are consistent with rural character.
Measures governing rural development. The rural element shall include measures that apply to rural development and protect the rural character of the area, as established by the county, by:
Containing or otherwise controlling rural development;
Assuring visual compatibility of rural development with the surrounding rural area;
Reducing the inappropriate conversion of undeveloped land into sprawling, low-density development in the rural area;
Protecting critical areas, as provided in RCW 36.70A.060, and surface water and groundwater resources; and
Protecting against conflicts with the use of agricultural, forest, and mineral resource lands designated under RCW 36.70A.170.
Limited areas of more intensive rural development. Subject to the requirements of this subsection and except as otherwise specifically provided in this subsection (5)(d), the rural element may allow for limited areas of more intensive rural development, including necessary public facilities and public services to serve the limited area as follows:
(A) A commercial, industrial, residential, shoreline, or mixed-use area are subject to the requirements of (d)(iv) of this subsection, but are not subject to the requirements of (c)(ii) and (iii) of this subsection.
(B) Any development or redevelopment other than an industrial area or an industrial use within a mixed-use area or an industrial area under this subsection (5)(d)(i) must be principally designed to serve the existing and projected rural population.
(C) Any development or redevelopment in terms of building size, scale, use, or intensity may be permitted subject to confirmation from all existing providers of public facilities and public services of sufficient capacity of existing public facilities and public services to serve any new or additional demand from the new development or redevelopment. Development and redevelopment may include changes in use from vacant land or a previously existing use so long as the new use conforms to the requirements of this subsection (5) and is consistent with the local character. Any commercial development or redevelopment within a mixed-use area must be principally designed to serve the existing and projected rural population and must meet the following requirements:
(I) Any included retail or food service space must not exceed the footprint of previously occupied space or 5,000 square feet, whichever is greater, for the same or similar use; and
(II) Any included retail or food service space must not exceed 2,500 square feet for a new use;
ii. The intensification of development on lots containing, or new development of, small-scale recreational or tourist uses, including commercial facilities to serve those recreational or tourist uses, that rely on a rural location and setting, but that do not include new residential development. A small-scale recreation or tourist use is not required to be principally designed to serve the existing and projected rural population. Public services and public facilities shall be limited to those necessary to serve the recreation or tourist use and shall be provided in a manner that does not permit low-density sprawl;
iii. The intensification of development on lots containing isolated nonresidential uses or new development of isolated cottage industries and isolated small-scale businesses that are not principally designed to serve the existing and projected rural population and nonresidential uses, but do provide job opportunities for rural residents. Rural counties may allow the expansion of small-scale businesses as long as those small-scale businesses conform with the rural character of the area as defined by the local government according to RCW 36.70A.030(35). Rural counties may also allow new small-scale businesses to utilize a site previously occupied by an existing business as long as the new small-scale business conforms to the rural character of the area as defined by the local government according to RCW 36.70A.030(35). Public services and public facilities shall be limited to those necessary to serve the isolated nonresidential use and shall be provided in a manner that does not permit low-density sprawl;
iv. A county shall adopt measures to minimize and contain the existing areas of more intensive rural development, as appropriate, authorized under this subsection. Lands included in such existing areas shall not extend beyond the logical outer boundary of the existing area, thereby allowing a new pattern of low-density sprawl. Existing areas are those that are clearly identifiable and contained and where there is a logical boundary delineated predominately by the built environment, but that may also include undeveloped lands if limited as provided in this subsection. The county shall establish the logical outer boundary of an area of more intensive rural development. In establishing the logical outer boundary, the county shall address (A) the need to preserve the character of existing natural neighborhoods and communities, (B) physical boundaries, such as bodies of water, streets and highways, and land forms and contours, (C) the prevention of abnormally irregular boundaries, and (D) the ability to provide public facilities and public services in a manner that does not permit low-density sprawl;
v. For purposes of this subsection (5)(d), an existing area or existing use is one that was in existence:
(A) On July 1, 1990, in a county that was initially required to plan under all of the provisions of this chapter;
(B) On the date the county adopted a resolution under RCW 36.70A.040(2), in a county that is planning under all of the provisions of this chapter under RCW 36.70A.040(2); or
(C) On the date the office of financial management certifies the county's population as provided in RCW 36.70A.040(5), in a county that is planning under all of the provisions of this chapter pursuant to RCW 36.70A.040(5).
e. Exception. This subsection shall not be interpreted to permit in the rural area a major industrial development or a master planned resort unless otherwise specifically permitted under RCW 36.70A.360 and 36.70A.365.
A transportation element that implements, and is consistent with, the land use element.
The transportation element shall include the following subelements:
Land use assumptions used in estimating travel;
Estimated multimodal level of service impacts to state-owned transportation facilities resulting from land use assumptions to assist in monitoring the performance of state facilities, to plan improvements for the facilities, and to assess the impact of land-use decisions on state-owned transportation facilities;
Facilities and services needs, including:
(A) An inventory of air, water, and ground transportation facilities and services, including transit alignments, active transportation facilities, and general aviation airport facilities, to define existing capital facilities and travel levels to inform future planning. This inventory must include state-owned transportation facilities within the city or county's jurisdictional boundaries;
(B) Multimodal level of service standards for all locally owned arterials, locally and regionally operated transit routes that serve urban growth areas, state-owned or operated transit routes that serve urban areas if the department of transportation has prepared such standards, and active transportation facilities to serve as a gauge to judge performance of the system and success in helping to achieve the goals of this chapter consistent with environmental justice. These standards should be regionally coordinated;
(C) For state-owned transportation facilities, multimodal level of service standards for highways, as prescribed in chapters 47.06 and 47.80 RCW, to gauge the performance of the system. The purposes of reflecting multimodal level of service standards for state highways in the local comprehensive plan are to monitor the performance of the system, to evaluate improvement strategies, and to facilitate coordination between the county's or city's six-year street, road, active transportation, or transit program and the office of financial management's ten-year investment program. The concurrency requirements of (b) of this subsection do not apply to transportation facilities and services of statewide significance except for counties consisting of islands whose only connection to the mainland are state highways or ferry routes. In these island counties, state highways and ferry route capacity must be a factor in meeting the concurrency requirements in (b) of this subsection;
(D) Specific actions and requirements for bringing into compliance transportation facilities or services that are below an established multimodal level of service standard;
(E) Forecasts of multimodal transportation demand and needs within cities and urban growth areas, and forecasts of multimodal transportation demand and needs outside of cities and urban growth areas, for at least ten years based on the adopted land use plan to inform the development of a transportation element that balances transportation system safety and convenience to accommodate all users of the transportation system to safely, reliably, and efficiently provide access and mobility to people and goods. Priority must be given to inclusion of transportation facilities and services providing the greatest multimodal safety benefit to each category of roadway users for the context and speed of the facility;
(F) Identification of state and local system needs to equitably meet current and future demands. Identified needs on state-owned transportation facilities must be consistent with the statewide multimodal transportation plan required under chapter 47.06 RCW. Local system needs should reflect the regional transportation system and local goals, and strive to equitably implement the multimodal network;
(G) A transition plan for transportation as required in Title II of the Americans with disabilities act of 1990 (ADA). As a necessary step to a program access plan to provide accessibility under the ADA, state and local government, public entities, and public agencies are required to perform self-evaluations of their current facilities, relative to accessibility requirements of the ADA. The agencies are then required to develop a program access plan, which can be called a transition plan, to address any deficiencies. The plan is intended to achieve the following:
(I) Identify physical obstacles that limit the accessibility of facilities to individuals with disabilities;
(II) Describe the methods to be used to make the facilities accessible;
(III) Provide a schedule for making the access modifications; and
(IV) Identify the public officials responsible for implementation of the transition plan;
iv. Finance, including:
(A) An analysis of funding capability to judge needs against probable funding resources;
(B) A multiyear financing plan based on the needs identified in the comprehensive plan, the appropriate parts of which shall serve as the basis for the six-year street, road, or transit program required by RCW 35.77.010 for cities, RCW 36.81.121 for counties, and RCW 35.58.2795 for public transportation systems. The multiyear financing plan should be coordinated with the ten-year investment program developed by the office of financial management as required by RCW 47.05.030;
(C) If probable funding falls short of meeting the identified needs of the transportation system, including state transportation facilities, a discussion of how additional funding will be raised, or how land use assumptions will be reassessed to ensure that level of service standards will be met;
v. Intergovernmental coordination efforts, including an assessment of the impacts of the transportation plan and land use assumptions on the transportation systems of adjacent jurisdictions;
vi. Demand-management strategies;
vii. Active transportation component to include collaborative efforts to identify and designate planned improvements for active transportation facilities and corridors that address and encourage enhanced community access and promote healthy lifestyles.
b. After adoption of the comprehensive plan by jurisdictions required to plan or who choose to plan under RCW 36.70A.040, local jurisdictions must adopt and enforce ordinances which prohibit development approval if the development causes the level of service on a locally owned or locally or regionally operated transportation facility to decline below the standards adopted in the transportation element of the comprehensive plan, unless transportation improvements or strategies to accommodate the impacts of development are made concurrent with the development. These strategies may include active transportation facility improvements, increased or enhanced public transportation service, programs, demand management, and other transportation systems management strategies. For the purposes of this subsection (6), "concurrent with the development" means that improvements or strategies are in place at the time of development, or that a financial commitment is in place to complete the improvements or strategies within six years. If the collection of impact fees is delayed under RCW 82.02.050(3), the six-year period required by this subsection (6)(b) must begin after full payment of all impact fees is due to the county or city. A development proposal may not be denied for causing the level of service on a locally owned or locally or regionally operated transportation facility to decline below the standards adopted in the transportation element of the comprehensive plan where such impacts could be adequately mitigated through active transportation facility improvements, increased or enhanced public transportation service, ride-sharing programs, demand management, or other transportation systems management strategies funded by the development.
c. The transportation element described in this subsection (6), the six-year plans required by RCW 35.77.010 for cities, RCW 36.81.121 for counties, and RCW 35.58.2795 for public transportation systems, and the ten-year investment program required by RCW 47.05.030 for the state, must be consistent.
An economic development element establishing local goals, policies, objectives, and provisions for economic growth and vitality and a high quality of life. A city that has chosen to be a residential community is exempt from the economic development element requirement of this subsection.
A park and recreation element that implements, and is consistent with, the capital facilities plan element as it relates to park and recreation facilities. The element shall include: (a) Estimates of park and recreation demand for at least a ten-year period; (b) an evaluation of facilities and service needs; (c) an evaluation of tree canopy coverage within the urban growth area; and (d) an evaluation of intergovernmental coordination opportunities to provide regional approaches for meeting park and recreational demand.
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A climate change and resiliency element that is designed to result in reductions in overall greenhouse gas emissions and that must enhance resiliency to and avoid the adverse impacts of climate change, which must include efforts to reduce localized greenhouse gas emissions and avoid creating or worsening localized climate impacts to vulnerable populations and overburdened communities.
The climate change and resiliency element shall include the following subelements:
A greenhouse gas emissions reduction subelement;
A resiliency subelement.
The greenhouse gas emissions reduction subelement of the climate change and resiliency element is mandatory for the jurisdictions specified in RCW 36.70A.095 and is encouraged for all other jurisdictions, including those planning under RCW 36.70A.040 and those planning under chapter 36.70 RCW. The resiliency subelement of the climate change and resiliency element is mandatory for all jurisdictions planning under RCW 36.70A.040 and is encouraged for those jurisdictions planning under chapter 36.70 RCW.
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(A) Result in reductions in overall greenhouse gas emissions generated by transportation and land use within the jurisdiction but without increasing greenhouse gas emissions elsewhere in the state;
(B) Result in reductions in per capita vehicle miles traveled within the jurisdiction but without increasing greenhouse gas emissions elsewhere in the state; and
(C) Prioritize reductions that benefit overburdened communities in order to maximize the cobenefits of reduced air pollution and environmental justice.
ii. Actions not specifically identified in the guidelines developed by the department pursuant to RCW 70A.45.120 may be considered consistent with these guidelines only if:
(A) They are projected to achieve greenhouse gas emissions reductions or per capita vehicle miles traveled reductions equivalent to what would be required of the jurisdiction under the guidelines adopted by the department; and
(B) They are supported by scientifically credible projections and scenarios that indicate their adoption is likely to result in reductions of greenhouse gas emissions or per capita vehicle miles traveled.
iii. A jurisdiction may not restrict population growth or limit population allocation in order to achieve the requirements set forth in this subsection (9)(d).
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i. The resiliency subelement must equitably enhance resiliency to, and avoid or substantially reduce the adverse impacts of, climate change in human communities and ecological systems through goals, policies, and programs consistent with the best available science and scientifically credible climate projections and impact scenarios that moderate or avoid harm, enhance the resiliency of natural and human systems, and enhance beneficial opportunities. The resiliency subelement must prioritize actions that benefit overburdened communities that will disproportionately suffer from compounding environmental impacts and will be most impacted by natural hazards due to climate change. Specific goals, policies, and programs of the resiliency subelement must include, but are not limited to, those designed to:
(A) Identify, protect, and enhance natural areas to foster resiliency to climate impacts, as well as areas of vital habitat for safe passage and species migration;
(B) Identify, protect, and enhance community resiliency to climate change impacts, including social, economic, and built environment factors, that support adaptation to climate impacts consistent with environmental justice; and
(C) Address natural hazards created or aggravated by climate change, including sea level rise, landslides, flooding, drought, heat, smoke, wildfire, and other effects of changes to temperature and precipitation patterns.
ii. A natural hazard mitigation plan or similar plan that is guided by RCW 36.70A.020(14), that prioritizes actions that benefit overburdened communities, and that complies with the applicable requirements of this chapter, including the requirements set forth in this subsection (9)(e), may be adopted by reference to satisfy these requirements, except that to the extent any of the substantive requirements of this subsection (9)(e) are not addressed, or are inadequately addressed, in the referenced natural hazard mitigation plan, a county or city must supplement the natural hazard mitigation plan accordingly so that the adopted resiliency subelement complies fully with the substantive requirements of this subsection (9)(e).
(A) If a county or city intends to adopt by reference a federal emergency management agency natural hazard mitigation plan in order to meet all or part of the substantive requirements set forth in this subsection (9)(e), and the most recently adopted federal emergency management agency natural hazard mitigation plan does not comply with the requirements of this subsection (9)(e), the department may grant the county or city an extension of time in which to submit a natural hazard mitigation plan.
(B) Eligibility for an extension under this subsection prior to July 1, 2027, is limited to a city or county required to review and, if needed, revise its comprehensive plan on or before June 30, 2025, as provided in RCW 36.70A.130, or for a city or county with an existing, unexpired federal emergency management agency natural hazard mitigation plan scheduled to expire before December 31, 2024.
(C) Extension requests after July 1, 2027, may be granted if requirements for the resiliency subelement are amended or added by the legislature or if the department finds other circumstances that may result in a potential finding of noncompliance with a jurisdiction's existing and approved federal emergency management agency natural hazard mitigation plan.
(D) A city or county that wishes to request an extension of time must submit a request in writing to the department no later than the date on which the city or county is required to review and, if needed, revise its comprehensive plan as provided in RCW 36.70A.130.
(E) Upon the submission of such a request to the department, the city or county may have an additional 48 months from the date provided in RCW 36.70A.130 in which to either adopt by reference an updated federal emergency management agency natural hazard mitigation plan or adopt its own natural hazard mitigation plan, and to then submit that plan to the department.
(F) The adoption of ordinances, amendments to comprehensive plans, amendments to development regulations, and other nonproject actions taken by a county or city pursuant to (d) of this subsection in order to implement measures specified by the department pursuant to RCW 70A.45.120 are not subject to administrative or judicial appeal under chapter 43.21C RCW.
A seller of improved residential real property who has paid an impact fee imposed pursuant to RCW 82.02.050 related to the property shall disclose to the buyer the amount of the impact fee that was paid and the local government to which the fee was paid.
A seller's failure to provide the information required in this section does not give rise to any new right or remedy for the buyer of the property.
Except as provided in RCW 64.06.050 and in section 5 of this act, nothing in this chapter shall extinguish or impair any rights or remedies of a buyer of real estate against the seller or against any agent acting for the seller otherwise existing pursuant to common law, statute, or contract; nor shall anything in this chapter create any new right or remedy for a buyer of real property other than the right of recision exercised on the basis and within the time limits provided in this chapter.