Laserfiche WebLink
Background <br /> The Growth Management Act govern <br /> development and land use for local governments <br /> Washington's Growth Management Act(GMA)is a series of statutes dating back to <br /> 1990.This body of law balances the state's environmental goals with development <br /> and industrial needs in individual communities.For example,it directs local <br /> governments to incorporate protections for wetlands and public water supplies into <br /> their land use regulations,which could touch on issues such as drainage,flooding <br /> and stormwater runoff.Governments must keep such goals in mind as they plan for <br /> expected future growth,including adequate housing,capital facilities and utilities. <br /> The GMAs key requirement is that fast-growing counties and the cities within them <br /> must develop comprehensive plans and regulations to guide growth and limit urban <br /> sprawl.These comprehensive plans must address timely and fair permit processing, <br /> to ensure developers and builders can reliably predict how much time they should <br /> allot for obtaining permits when embarking on a construction project. <br /> Currently, 18 counties must follow the GMAs requirements.In addition, 10 <br /> counties have opted to meet GMA standards even though they are not required to <br /> do so.These 28 counties comprised roughly 95 percent of the states population in <br /> 2020.The map in Exhibit 1 (on the following page)illustrates the 28 counties. <br /> Growth Management Act Background 6 <br />