Title 36 — Title 36 COUNTIES

The legislature finds that uncoordinated and unplanned growth, together with a lack of common goals expressing the public's interest in the conservation and the wise use of our lands, pose a threat to the environment, sustainable economic development, and the health, safety, and …

The legislature finds that this chapter is intended to recognize the importance of rural lands and rural character to Washington's economy, its people, and its environment, while respecting regional differences. Rural lands and rural-based economies enhance the economic desirabil…

The following goals are adopted to guide the development and adoption of comprehensive plans and development regulations of those counties and cities that are required or choose to plan under RCW 36.70A.040 and, where specified, also guide the development of regional policies, pl…

*** CHANGE IN 2026 *** (SEE 2266-S.SL) ***Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter.(1) "Active transportation" means forms of pedestrian mobility including walking or running, the use of a mobility assistive devi…

(1) The public participation requirements of this chapter shall include notice procedures that are reasonably calculated to provide notice to property owners and other affected and interested individuals, tribes, government agencies, businesses, school districts, group A public w…

(1) Each county that has both a population of fifty thousand or more and, until May 16, 1995, has had its population increase by more than ten percent in the previous ten years or, on or after May 16, 1995, has had its population increase by more than seventeen percent in the pre…

The department may adopt a schedule to permit phasing of comprehensive plan submittal for counties and cities planning under RCW 36.70A.040. This schedule shall not permit a comprehensive plan to be submitted greater than one hundred eighty days past the date that the plan was re…

(1) Subject to the definitions provided in RCW 36.70A.030, the department shall adopt guidelines, under chapter 34.05 RCW, no later than September 1, 1990, to guide the classification of: (a) Agricultural lands; (b) forestlands; (c) mineral resource lands; and (d) critical areas.…

*** CHANGE IN 2026 *** (SEE 5820.SL) ***(1)(a) Each county that is required or chooses to plan under RCW 36.70A.040, and each city within such county, shall adopt development regulations on or before September 1, 1991, to assure the conservation of agricultural, forest, and miner…

The initial effective date of an action that expands an urban growth area designated under RCW 36.70A.110, removes the designation of agricultural, forest, or mineral resource lands designated under RCW 36.70A.170, creates or expands a limited area of more intensive rural develop…

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 consiste…

(1) A comprehensive plan may include additional elements, items, or studies dealing with other subjects relating to the physical development within its jurisdiction, including, but not limited to:(a) Conservation;(b) Solar energy; and(c) Recreation.(2) A comprehensive plan may in…

(1) Comprehensive plans of cities that have a marine container port with annual operating revenues in excess of sixty million dollars within their jurisdiction must include a container port element.(2) Comprehensive plans of cities that include all or part of a port district with…

A comprehensive plan should provide for innovative land use management techniques, including, but not limited to, density bonuses, cluster housing, planned unit developments, and the transfer of development rights.[ 1990 1st ex.s. c 17 s 9.]

(1) The requirements of the greenhouse gas emissions reduction subelement of the climate change and resiliency element set forth in RCW 36.70A.070 apply only to those counties that are required or that choose to plan under RCW 36.70A.040 and that also meet either of the criteria …

(1) A county or city required to complete a greenhouse gas emissions reduction subelement may submit the subelement to the department for approval. When submitted to the department for approval, the subelement becomes effective when approved by the department as provided in this …

The comprehensive plan of each county or city that is adopted pursuant to RCW 36.70A.040 shall be coordinated with, and consistent with, the comprehensive plans adopted pursuant to RCW 36.70A.040 of other counties or cities with which the county or city has, in part, common borde…

State agencies shall comply with the local comprehensive plans and development regulations and amendments thereto adopted pursuant to this chapter except as otherwise provided in RCW 71.09.250 (1) through (3), 71.09.342, and 72.09.333.The provisions of chapter 12, Laws of 2001 2n…

(1) Each county and city proposing adoption of a comprehensive plan or development regulations under this chapter shall notify the department of its intent to adopt such plan or regulations at least sixty days prior to final adoption. State agencies including the department may p…

*** CHANGE IN 2026 *** (SEE 5820.SL) ***(1) The transportation element required by RCW 36.70A.070 may include, in addition to improvements or strategies to accommodate the impacts of development authorized under RCW 36.70A.070(6)(b), multimodal transportation improvements or stra…

(1) Each county that is required or chooses to plan under RCW 36.70A.040 shall designate an urban growth area or areas within which urban growth shall be encouraged and outside of which growth can occur only if it is not urban in nature. Each city that is located in such a county…

(1) Counties and cities that are required or choose to plan under RCW 36.70A.040 shall ensure that, taken collectively, adoption of and amendments to their comprehensive plans and/or development regulations provide sufficient capacity of land suitable for development within their…

Each county and city that is required or chooses to plan under RCW 36.70A.040 shall perform its activities and make capital budget decisions in conformity with its comprehensive plan.[ 1993 sp.s. c 6 s 3; 1990 1st ex.s. c 17 s 12.]Notes:Effective date—1993 sp.s. c 6: See note fol…

(1)(a) Each comprehensive land use plan and development regulations shall be subject to continuing review and evaluation by the county or city that adopted them. Except as otherwise provided, a county or city shall take legislative action to review and, if needed, revise its comp…

As part of the review required by RCW 36.70A.130(1), a county or city shall review its mineral resource lands designations adopted pursuant to RCW 36.70A.170 and mineral resource lands development regulations adopted pursuant to RCW 36.70A.040 and 36.70A.060. In its review, the c…

Each county and city that is required or chooses to plan under RCW 36.70A.040 shall establish and broadly disseminate to the public a public participation program identifying procedures providing for early and continuous public participation in the development and amendment of co…

Development regulations to implement comprehensive plans under this chapter that are newly developed, updated, or amended after January 1, 2025, must allow for the siting of organic materials management facilities in the areas identified in RCW 70A.205.040(3)(a)(i) to the extent …

Each county and city that is required or chooses to prepare a comprehensive land use plan under RCW 36.70A.040 shall identify lands useful for public purposes such as utility corridors, transportation corridors, landfills, sewage treatment facilities, stormwater management facili…

Each county and city that is required or chooses to prepare a comprehensive land use plan under RCW 36.70A.040 shall identify open space corridors within and between urban growth areas. They shall include lands useful for recreation, wildlife habitat, trails, and connection of cr…

The legislature recognizes that the preservation of urban greenbelts is an integral part of comprehensive growth management in Washington. The legislature further recognizes that certain greenbelts are subject to adverse possession action which, if carried out, threaten the compr…

(1) On or before September 1, 1991, each county, and each city, shall designate where appropriate:(a) Agricultural lands that are not already characterized by urban growth and that have long-term significance for the commercial production of food or other agricultural products;(b…

In accordance with RCW 36.70A.030, 36.70A.060, * 36.70A.1701, and 36.70A.130, playing fields and supporting facilities existing before July 1, 2004, on designated recreational lands shall be considered in compliance with the requirements of this chapter.[ 2005 c 423 s 5.]Notes:*R…

(1) In designating and protecting critical areas under this chapter, counties and cities shall include the best available science in developing policies and development regulations to protect the functions and values of critical areas. In addition, counties and cities shall give …

Wetlands regulated under development regulations adopted pursuant to this chapter shall be delineated in accordance with the manual adopted by the department pursuant to RCW 90.58.380.[ 1995 c 382 s 12.]

(1) A county or a city may use a variety of innovative zoning techniques in areas designated as agricultural lands of long-term commercial significance under RCW 36.70A.170. The innovative zoning techniques should be designed to conserve agricultural lands and encourage the agric…

It is the intent of the legislature that counties and cities required to adopt a comprehensive plan under RCW 36.70A.040(1) begin implementing this chapter on or before July 1, 1990, including but not limited to: (1) Inventorying, designating, and conserving agricultural, forest,…

(1) The department shall establish a program of technical and financial assistance and incentives to counties and cities to encourage and facilitate the adoption and implementation of comprehensive plans and development regulations throughout the state.(2) The department shall de…

(1)(a) The comprehensive plan of each county and city that is planning under RCW 36.70A.040 shall include a process for identifying and siting essential public facilities. Essential public facilities include those facilities that are typically difficult to site, such as airports,…

(1) The legislature recognizes that counties are regional governments within their boundaries, and cities are primary providers of urban governmental services within urban growth areas. For the purposes of this section, a "countywide planning policy" is a written policy statement…

(1) A county may authorize the siting in a rural area of a school that serves students from an urban area, even where otherwise prohibited by a multicounty planning policy, under the following circumstances:(a) The county has a population of more than eight hundred forty thousand…

In a county that chooses to site schools under RCW 36.70A.211, each school district within the county must participate in the county's periodic updates required by *RCW 36.70A.130(1)(b) by:(1) Coordinating its enrollment forecasts and projections with the county's adopted populat…

(1) This chapter does not prohibit a county planning under RCW 36.70A.040 from authorizing the extension of public facilities and utilities to serve a school sited in a rural area that serves students from a rural area and an urban area so long as the following requirements are m…

(1) Subject to the limitations in subsection (5) of this section, a county shall adopt, in consultation with its cities, countywide planning policies to establish a review and evaluation program. This program shall be in addition to the requirements of RCW 36.70A.110, 36.70A.130,…

(1) The department of commerce, through a contract with a land use and economics entity, shall develop guidance for local governments on the review and evaluation program in RCW 36.70A.215. The contract shall be with an entity experienced in serving private and public sector clie…

(1) (a) There is hereby created within the environmental and land use hearings office established by RCW 43.21B.005 a growth management hearings board for the state of Washington. The board shall consist of five members qualified by experience or training in pertinent matters per…

On July 1, 2011, the growth management hearings board is administratively consolidated into the environmental and land use hearings office created in RCW 43.21B.005. The chair of the growth management hearings board shall continue to exercise duties and responsibilities pursuant …

(1) Each petition for review that is filed with the growth management hearings board shall be heard and decided by a regional panel of growth management hearings board members. Regional panels shall be constituted as follows:(a) Central Puget Sound region. A three-member central …

The growth management hearings board shall be governed by the following rules on conduct and procedure:(1) Any board member may be removed for inefficiency, malfeasance, and misfeasance in office, under specific written charges filed by the governor. The governor shall transmit s…

(1) The growth management hearings board shall hear and determine only those petitions alleging either:(a) That, except as provided otherwise by this subsection, a state agency, county, or city planning under this chapter is not in compliance with the requirements of this chapter…

(1) All requests for review to the growth management hearings board shall be initiated by filing a petition that includes a detailed statement of issues presented for resolution by the board. The board shall render written decisions articulating the basis for its holdings. The bo…