Drafter
Clerk 03/21/2008
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AN ORDINANCE ratifying for unincorporated King County an action by the Growth Management Planning Council to adopt the 2007 Buildable Lands Report; and amending Ordinance 10450, Section 3, as amended, and K.C.C. 20.10.030 and Ordinance 10450, Section 4, as amended, and K.C.C. 20.10.040.
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BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. Findings: The council makes the following findings:
A. The Growth Management Act ("GMA") requires King County and its cities to implement a review and evaluation program, commonly referred to as "Buildable Lands" and requires completion of an evaluation report every five years. The first King County Buildable Lands Report ("BLR") was submitted to the state in 2002.
B. RCW 36.70A.215 establishes the required elements of that program to include:
1. Annual data on land development; and
2. Periodic analyses to identify "land suitable for development" for anticipated residential, commercial, and industrial uses.
C. Based on the findings of the five-year evaluation, a county or city may be required to take remedial actions (i.e. reasonable measures) to ensure sufficient capacity for growth needs and to address inconsistencies between actual development and adopted policies and regulations.
D. The 2007 BLR contained data on:
1. Building permits and subdivision plats for the years 2001-2005;
2. Land supply and capacity as of 2006; and
3. Comparisons with growth targets established by the Growth Management Planning Council (GMPC) in 2002 for the planning period 2001-2022.
E. The major findings of the 2007 BLR include the following:
1. Housing growth has been on track with twenty-two-year growth targets;
2. Densities achieved in new housing have increased compared to the previous five years;
3. Commercial-industrial construction has continued despite the recession of 2001-2004; and
4. King County's Urban Growth Area, and each o...
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