Title 36, COUNTIES

A request for review by the state to the growth management hearings board may be made only by the governor, or with the governor's consent the head of an agency, or by the commissioner of public lands as relating to state trust lands, for the review of whether: (1) A county or ci…

(1) Except as provided in subsections (5) through (7) of this section, comprehensive plans and development regulations, and amendments thereto, adopted under this chapter are presumed valid upon adoption. (2) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (4) of this section, the bur…

The legislature intends that the board applies a more deferential standard of review to actions of counties and cities than the preponderance of the evidence standard provided for under existing law. In recognition of the broad range of discretion that may be exercised by countie…

(1) After the time set for complying with the requirements of this chapter under RCW 36.70A.300(3)(b) has expired, or at an earlier time upon the motion of a county or city subject to a determination of invalidity under RCW 36.70A.300, the board shall set a hearing for the purpos…

(1) The department shall offer training to assist local governments in understanding findings of noncompliance from the growth management hearings board pursuant to RCW 36.70A.300 and 36.70A.330 and applying prior decisions of the board to ongoing planning efforts to avoid findin…

A county or city subject to an order of invalidity issued before July 27, 1997, by motion may request the board to review the order of invalidity in light of the section 14, chapter 429, Laws of 1997 amendments to RCW 36.70A.300, the section 21, chapter 429, Laws of 1997 amendmen…

Upon receipt from the board of a finding that a state agency, county, or city is in noncompliance under RCW 36.70A.330, or as a result of failure to meet the requirements of RCW 36.70A.210, the governor may either: (1) Notify and direct the director of the office of financial man…

The governor may impose a sanction or sanctions specified under RCW 36.70A.340 on: (1) A county or city that fails to designate critical areas, agricultural lands, forestlands, or mineral resource lands under RCW 36.70A.170 by the date such action was required to have been taken;…

A county required or choosing to plan under RCW 36.70A.040 may establish a process as part of its urban growth areas, that are designated under RCW 36.70A.110, for reviewing proposals to authorize new fully contained communities located outside of the initially designated urban g…

(1) Counties that are required or choose to plan under RCW 36.70A.040 may permit master planned resorts which may constitute urban growth outside of urban growth areas as limited by this section. A master planned resort means a self-contained and fully integrated planned unit dev…

Counties that are required or choose to plan under RCW 36.70A.040 may include existing resorts as master planned resorts which may constitute urban growth outside of urban growth areas as limited by this section. An existing resort means a resort in existence on July 1, 1990, and…

A county required or choosing to plan under RCW 36.70A.040 may establish, in consultation with cities consistent with provisions of RCW 36.70A.210, a process for reviewing and approving proposals to authorize siting of specific major industrial developments outside urban growth a…

(1) In addition to the major industrial development allowed under RCW 36.70A.365, a county planning under RCW 36.70A.040 that meets the criteria in subsection (5) of this section may establish, in consultation with cities consistent with provisions of RCW 36.70A.210, a process fo…

(1) In addition to the major industrial development allowed under RCW 36.70A.365 and 36.70A.367, a county planning under RCW 36.70A.040 that meets the criteria in subsection (2) of this section may establish, in consultation with cities consistent with RCW 36.70A.210, a process f…

(1) The state attorney general shall establish by October 1, 1991, an orderly, consistent process, including a checklist if appropriate, that better enables state agencies and local governments to evaluate proposed regulatory or administrative actions to assure that such actions …

The department may extend the date by which a county or city is required to designate agricultural lands, forestlands, mineral resource lands, and critical areas under RCW 36.70A.170, or the date by which a county or city is required to protect such lands and critical areas under…

(1) The legislature intends to determine whether the environmental review process mandated under chapter 43.21C RCW may be enhanced and simplified, and coordination improved, when applied to comprehensive plans mandated by this chapter. The department shall undertake pilot projec…

A county or city governing body that adopts a moratorium, interim zoning map, interim zoning ordinance, or interim official control without holding a public hearing on the proposed moratorium, interim zoning map, interim zoning ordinance, or interim official control, shall hold a…

No county or city that plans or elects to plan under this chapter may enact or maintain an ordinance, development regulation, zoning regulation or official control, policy, or administrative practice which treats a residential structure occupied by persons with handicaps differen…

The legislature recognizes that there are major transportation projects that affect multiple jurisdictions as to economic development, fiscal influence, environmental consequences, land use implications, and mobility of people and goods. The legislature further recognizes that af…

For counties engaged in planning under this chapter, there shall be established by December 31, 1994, a collaborative process to review and coordinate state and local permits for all transportation projects that cross more than one city or county boundary. This process shall at a…

(1) Except as provided in subsections (2) and (3) of this section, no county or city may enact, enforce, or maintain an ordinance, development regulation, zoning regulation, or official control, policy, or administrative practice that prohibits the use of a residential dwelling, …

(1) A permit required under this chapter for a watershed restoration project as defined in RCW 89.08.460 shall be processed in compliance with RCW 89.08.450 through 89.08.510. (2) A fish habitat enhancement project meeting the criteria of RCW 77.55.181 shall be reviewed and appro…

(1) Project review, which shall be conducted pursuant to the provisions of chapter 36.70B RCW, shall be used to make individual project decisions, not land use planning decisions. If, during project review, a county or city planning under RCW 36.70A.040 identifies deficiencies in…

(1) For shorelines of the state, the goals and policies of the shoreline management act as set forth in RCW 90.58.020 are added as one of the goals of this chapter as set forth in RCW 36.70A.020 without creating an order of priority among the 15 goals. The goals and policies of a…

Nothing in RCW 36.70A.480 shall be construed to authorize a county or city to adopt regulations applicable to shorelands as defined in RCW 90.58.030 that are inconsistent with the provisions of chapter 90.58 RCW. [ 1995 c 382 s 13.]

The growth management planning and environmental review fund is hereby established in the state treasury. Moneys may be placed in the fund from the proceeds of bond sales, tax revenues, budget transfers, federal appropriations, gifts, or any other lawful source. Moneys in the fun…

(1) The department of commerce shall provide management services for the growth management planning and environmental review fund created by RCW 36.70A.490. The department shall establish procedures for fund management. The department shall encourage participation in the grant or…

Adoption and amendment of comprehensive plan provisions and development regulations under this chapter affecting a general aviation airport are subject to RCW 36.70.547. [ 1996 c 239 s 5.]

Counties that are required or choose to plan under RCW 36.70A.040 may authorize and designate national historic towns that may constitute urban growth outside of urban growth areas as limited by this section. A national historic town means a town or district that has been designa…

(1) Military installations are of particular importance to the economic health of the state of Washington and it is a priority of the state to protect the land surrounding our military installations from incompatible development. (2) Comprehensive plans, amendments to comprehensi…

(1) Cities and counties planning under this chapter must allow co-living housing as a permitted use on any lot located within an urban growth area that allows at least six multifamily residential units, including on a lot zoned for mixed-use development. (2) A city or county subj…

(1) Any county that is required or chooses to plan under RCW 36.70A.040 may provide by ordinance and incorporate into its development regulations, zoning regulations, and other official controls, authorization for the following: (a)(i) Middle housing types on each parcel that per…

(1)(a) Any city or county planning under RCW 36.70A.040 may enact or expand affordable housing incentive programs providing for the development of low-income housing units through development regulations or conditions on rezoning or permit decisions, or both, on one or more of th…

(1) Any city or county fully planning under this chapter must allow an increased density bonus consistent with local needs for any affordable housing development of any single-family or multifamily residence located on real property owned or controlled by a religious organization…

(1) Any city coterminous with, and comprised only of, an island that relies solely on groundwater aquifers for its potable water source and does not have reasonable access to a potable water source outside its jurisdiction may designate one or more aquifer conservation zones. Aqu…

(1) Each county, city, and town assuming regulation of forest practices as provided in RCW 76.09.240 (1) and (2) shall adopt development regulations that: (a) Protect public resources, as defined in RCW 76.09.020, from material damage or the potential for material damage; (b) Req…

For the purposes of complying with the requirements of this chapter relating to surface and groundwater resources, a county or city may rely on or refer to applicable minimum instream flow rules adopted by the department of ecology under chapters 90.22 and 90.54 RCW. Development …

(1) A city planning pursuant to RCW 36.70A.040 is encouraged to take the following actions in order to increase its residential building capacity: (a) Authorize development in one or more areas of not fewer than five hundred acres that include at least one train station served by…

(1) The Washington center for real estate research at the University of Washington shall produce a series of reports as described in this section that compiles housing supply and affordability metrics for each city planning under RCW 36.70A.040 with a population of 10,000 or more…

Notes: Reviser's note: RCW 36.70A.620 was amended by 2025 c 139 s 8 without reference to its repeal by 2025 c 204 s 6. It has been decodified for publication purposes under RCW 1.12.025.

(1) Cities and counties planning under this chapter shall enforce land use regulations for residential development as provided in this section: (a) Garages and carports may not be required as a way to meet minimum parking requirements for residential development; (b) Parking spac…

(1) For purposes of this section, "design review" means a formally adopted local government process by which projects are reviewed for compliance with design standards for the type of use adopted through local ordinance. (2) Except as provided in subsection (3) of this section, c…

(1) Except as provided in subsection (4) of this section, any city that is required or chooses to plan under RCW 36.70A.040 must provide by ordinance and incorporate into its development regulations, zoning regulations, and other official controls, authorization for the following…

(1)(a) The department is directed to provide technical assistance to cities as they implement the requirements under RCW 36.70A.635. (b) The department shall prioritize such technical assistance to cities demonstrating the greatest need. (2)(a) The department shall publish model …

Any city choosing the alternative density requirements in RCW 36.70A.635(4) may apply to the department for, and the department may certify, an extension for areas at risk of displacement as determined by the antidisplacement analysis that a jurisdiction is required to complete u…