Growth Management Act needs reform: EFF
to issue study on the issue
Olympia, WA - 10/26/01 - The Growth Management Hearings Boards
(three quasi-judicial bodies with authority to decide the outcome
of challenges to local comprehensive land-use plans and
regulations) wield incredible power. Consider the following:
The Boards have the authority to invalidate entire sections of
county-city comprehensive plans or development regulations. RCW
36.70A.302. Once development regulations have been invalidated,
permit applications are left in limbo until the county/city adopts
a new regulation AND the Hearings Board finds that it is valid.
The Boards have the power to recommend monetary sanctions against
counties that fail to comply with the planning requirements of the
GMA. RCW 36.70A.330(3).
The Boards are able to redefine local communities according to
their own standards. Although the GMA gives counties the
responsibility to defined "rural character," the
Hearings Boards have repeatedly sent counties back to the drawing
board to reduce the amount of development that will be allowed in
rural areas and to limit the types of land use that will be
permitted, despite the adverse impact on existing businesses and
local jobs.
The Governor-appointed Board members are not directly accountable
to the citizens whose lives, homes and businesses are governed by
their decisions.
In light of the Boards' authority to overturn the decisions of
local elected officials, what type of influence can citizens have
on who is appointed to the Boards? The terms of office of some of
the Board members have expired, and several more will be due for
replacement within a year. While the names of candidates being
considered for these positions are not available from the
Governor's office, it is still a critical time to make your voice
heard.
Contact the Governor and emphasize the factors that need to be
considered in his next Hearings Board appointments. Protest the
current Boards' lack of deference to local elected officials. Ask
him to appoint Board members who will bring a more balanced
perspective, instead of stifling local economies. You can assume
that those who are interested in stopping growth rather than
planning for it will be involved, so why let them be the only
voices that influence the appointment process?
Substantial reforms to the GMA itself are desperately needed, but
for the time being the Hearings Boards are part of the picture.
Make the most of the opportunity to get involved. This link
provides contact information for the Governor: http://www.governor.wa.gov/contact/contact.htm.
Evergreen Freedom Foundation's upcoming study on growth management
examines the bottom-up planning process that GMA was intended to
be and contrasts this with the impact the statute is actually
having in several rural counties. Our initial draft is nearing
completion, and we anticipate publication of the study in its
final form in mid to late November. If you have information on how
GMA is affecting your area (news clips, articles, statistics,
examples of growth management gone awry, etc.) I would love to
hear from you!
Please forward this message to any who are interested in growth
management issues and the impact they are having on Washington
state. (You can also let them know to sign up for future updates
at GMAlist@effwa.org.) Give
me a call or drop me a note if you have any questions or comments.
Sincerely,
Corrie White
GMA Project Manager
Evergreen Freedom Foundation
Phone: (360) 956-3482
FAX: (360) 352-1874
Email: GMAlist@effwa.org.