The bill amends several sections of the Washington State Growth Management Act to establish new timelines for the review and update of comprehensive land use plans and development regulations. It allows smaller cities and towns with populations under 500, not near larger cities, to opt out of full reviews if they notify the department of their intent to participate in a partial review. Key changes include new compliance deadlines, such as extending the review date for certain counties from June 30 to December 31, 2026, with subsequent reviews every ten years. The bill emphasizes public participation in the planning process and requires counties and cities to report on their implementation progress regarding comprehensive plans.

Additionally, the bill introduces clear and objective development regulations for design review processes, ensuring that these do not reduce density, height, bulk, or scale below what is generally applicable in the zone. It mandates that design reviews occur concurrently with project permit reviews and limits public meetings to one. The bill also specifies density requirements for cities based on population size, promoting affordable housing development while allowing flexibility in implementation. Notably, it removes the previous six-month compliance timeline, replacing it with a requirement for compliance to align with the next comprehensive plan update.

Statutes affected:
Original Bill: 36.70A.130
Substitute Bill: 36.70A.130, 36.70A.630, 36.70A.210