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Gain insights into the Growth Management Act (GMA), the framework for managing growth in Washington state. Learn about planning, protection, and the clash between the needs of people and the environment. Explore regulatory reforms, climate change considerations, and the complexities of balancing development with conservation efforts.
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An Intro to the GMAWhen Planning, Protection & People Collide Jodi Slavik Building Industry Association of Washington Olympia, WA
Let’s Talk About… • GMA • Reg Reform • Climate Change • Challenges
Growth Management Act • Adopted in ’90 & ‘91 (after rapid growth of ’80s) • All GMA for 29 counties; part GMA for 10 • All have CAOs • 18 required • 11 opted in • Lots of strife, lots of amendments, lots of appeals…
GMA: The Gist • Concentrate growth in urban areas; preserve rural and ag lands • Predict & plan for growth (have facilities ready) • Coordinated planning between counties and cities
14 Equal Planning Goals • Concentrate urban growth, reduce sprawl, transportation, housing, economic development, property rights, permits, natural resource industries, open space & rec, environmental protection, citizen participation, public facilities & services, historic preservation, shoreline management • Board can invalidate w/o balance
GMA Framework • ID & protect ag lands, forest lands, mineral resource areas, and critical areas (CAOs) • County-wide planning policies/UGAs • Comprehensive plan • Land use • Housing • Capital facilities (water, sewer, parks, fire) • Utilities (gas, electricity, cable) • Transportation • Rural (for counties) • SMP policies • Development regulations (zoning, subdivision, design review concurrency, critical areas, impact fees, SMP) • Project review
Development Regs • Critical Area Ordinances • Primary regulations to protect wetlands, fish & wildlife habitat, aquifer recharge areas, frequently flooded areas & geologically hazardous areas. • Based on “best available science”. • Concurrency • Measures whether public facilities are adequate to support new development. • Required for transportation; can do sewer, water, utilities, parks, fire & police. • Impact Fees • One-time charge to help cover the cost of roads, parks, schools, and fire protection facilities needed to serve the development. • Can only collect GMA or SEPA fees.
Public Input & Appeals • Heavy public participation • Notice • Public meetings • Workshops • Citizen advisory committees • Public hearings • Written comment • Can appeal comp plan and/or dev regs to Growth Boards; appeal permit decisions to hearing examiner and courts (LUPA).
GMHBs: The Enforcers • Three regional Growth Management Hearings Boards • 3 members appointed by Governor; no more than two from same party; at least 1 attorney • Review plans and regs (presumed valid) • Can deem them non-compliant or invalid
Ongoing Process • Comp plan updates 2004 – 07 (depending on jurisdiction) & every 7 years after. • Comp plans amendments no more than once a year • Dev regs as often as necessary to comply with comp plans • Jurisdictions currently working on SMP and CAO updates.
1995 Reg Reform • ESHB 1724 • GMA/SEPA/SMA • Goal: establish GMA as foundation • Coordinated & streamlined project review • 120 timeline • SEPA review merged • One open-record hrg; one closed record appeal • Don’t revisit decisions made at plan/regs • LUSC – integrate land use & environmental laws
Climate Change • GMA: Global warming mitigation and adaptation program. • CTED • Expires 2011 • Response methodologies, computer modeling, and estimates of GHG emission reductions from certain actions • Incentives to inventory and mitigate global warming • SEPA: King County first in nation to include accounting of GHG emissions in SEPA documents; DOE likely to follow. • Ron Sims EO 10/07 • Use worksheet to calculate GHG; if significant impact, must mitigate to 15% drop unless not economically feasible (draft).
What’s the Legislature Doing? • HB 1490 & SB 5687 • Adds climate change to environmental goal. • Adds climate change to housing & transportation elements. • Mandates multi-modal LOS in concurrency regulations. • Wants local planning in line with state goal of 30% emission reductions by 2020.
Challenges or…We thought this would work better than it did • Impact fees • Concurrency • Ag lands & soccer fields • NIMBYs…moratoriums • Dense development vs. prized wetlands • Market desires • Bottoms up? • Affordable housing
UW Study • Between 1989 – 2006, Seattle median priced home rose from $221,000 to $447,800. • $200,000 of that was from land use regulations. • First-time homebuyers earning median income ($75K) only had 37% ability to by median priced home ($447K); five years earlier they had 72% income needed.
Three simple truths: All policy decisions have costs. All closets must be cleaned. All people are born alike—except Republicans and Democrats . Groucho Marx