Section 365-196-470 - Industrial land banks(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 (2) of this section may establish a process for designating an industrial land bank consisting of no more than two master planned locations for major industrial activity outside urban growth areas. (a) "Industrial land bank" means up to two master planned locations, each consisting of a parcel or parcels of contiguous land, sufficiently large so as not to be readily available within the urban growth area of a city, or otherwise meeting the criteria contained in RCW 36.70A.367(4)(a), suitable for manufacturing, industrial, or commercial businesses and designated by the county through the comprehensive planning process specifically for major industrial use.(b) The process of designating industrial land banks must occur in consultation with cities consistent with the county-wide planning policies and, where applicable multicounty planning policies.(c) A master planned location for major industrial developments may be approved through a two-step process: Designation of an industrial land bank area in the comprehensive plan; and subsequent approval of specific major industrial developments through a local master plan process described under subsection (3)(f) of this section.(2) Counties eligible to create an industrial land bank. Only counties that meet one of the following criteria may designate an industrial land bank:(a) Has a population greater than two hundred fifty thousand and is part of a metropolitan area that includes a city in another state with a population greater than two hundred fifty thousand;(b) Has a population greater than one hundred forty thousand and is adjacent to another country;(c) Has a population greater than forty thousand but less than seventy-five thousand and has an average level of unemployment for the preceding three years that exceeds the average state unemployment for those years by twenty percent and is: (i) Bordered by the Pacific Ocean;(ii) Located in the Interstate 5 or Interstate 90 corridor; or(iii) Bordered by Hood Canal.(d) Is east of the Cascade divide; and (i) Borders another state to the south; or(ii) Is located wholly south of Interstate 90 and borders the Columbia River to the east;(e) Has an average population density of less than one hundred persons per square mile as determined by the office of financial management, and is bordered by the Pacific Ocean and by Hood Canal; or(f) Meets all of the following criteria:(i) Has a population greater than forty thousand but fewer than eighty thousand;(ii) Has an average level of unemployment for the preceding three years that exceeds the average state unemployment for those years by twenty percent; and(iii) Is located in the Interstate 5 or Interstate 90 corridor.(g) A county's authority to create an industrial land bank expires on the due date for the next periodic update found in RCW 36.70A.130(4) occurring prior to December 31, 2014. Once a land bank area has been identified in the county's comprehensive plan, the authority of the county to process a master plan or site projects within an approved master plan does not expire.(3) How to create an industrial land bank.(a) Creation of an industrial land bank requires an amendment to a county's comprehensive plan and the adoption of development regulations.(b) The comprehensive plan amendment that designates an industrial land bank must be accompanied by or contain an analysis that: (i) Identifies locations suited to major industrial development due to proximity to transportation or resource assets. This should be based on an inventory of developable land as provided in RCW 36.70A.365. See WAC 365-196-465 for recommendations on major industrial developments.(ii) Identifies the maximum size of the industrial land bank area and any limitations on major industrial developments based on local limiting factors, but does not need to specify a particular parcel or parcels of property or identify any specific use or user except as limited by this section.(iii) Gives priority to locations that are adjacent to, or in close proximity to, an urban growth area. This should include an analysis of the availability of alternative sites within urban growth areas and the long-term annexation feasibility of sites outside of urban growth areas.(c) The environmental review for amendment of the comprehensive plan should be at the programmatic level.(d) A comprehensive plan amendment creating an industrial land bank may be considered at any time and is an exception to the requirement in RCW 36.70A.130(1) that the comprehensive plan may be amended no more often than once per year.(e) Once the industrial land bank is created through the comprehensive plan amendment, approval of a specific major industrial development within the industrial land bank area requires no further amendment of the comprehensive plan.(f) Development regulations. A county must also adopt development regulations for review and approval of specific major industrial developments through a master plan process. The development regulations governing the master plan process shall ensure, at a minimum, that: (i) Urban growth will not occur in adjacent nonurban areas;(ii) Development is consistent with the county's development regulations adopted for protection of critical areas;(iii) Required infrastructure is identified and provided concurrent with development. Such infrastructure, however, may be phased in with development;(iv) Transit-oriented site planning and demand management programs are specifically addressed as part of the master plan approval;(v) Provision is made for addressing environmental protection, including air and water quality, as part of the master plan approval;(vi) The master plan approval includes a requirement that interlocal agreements between the county and service providers, including cities and special purpose districts providing facilities or services to the approved master plan, be in place at the time of master plan approval;(vii) A major industrial development is used primarily by industrial and manufacturing businesses, and that the gross floor area of all commercial and service buildings or facilities locating within the major industrial development do not exceed ten percent of the total gross floor area of buildings or facilities in the development. The intent of this provision for commercial or service use is to meet the needs of employees, clients, customers, vendors, and others having business at the industrial site, to attract and retain a quality workforce, and to further other public objectives, such as trip reduction. These uses may not be promoted to attract additional clientele from the surrounding area. Commercial and service businesses must be established concurrently with or subsequent to the industrial or manufacturing businesses;(viii) New infrastructure is provided for and/or applicable impact fees are paid to assure that adequate facilities are provided concurrently with the development. Infrastructure may be achieved in phases as development proceeds;(ix) Buffers are provided between the major industrial development and adjacent rural areas;(x) Provision is made to mitigate adverse impacts on designated agricultural lands, forest lands, and mineral resource lands; and(xi) An open record public hearing is held before either the planning commission or hearing examiner with notice published at least thirty days before the hearing date and mailed to all property owners within one mile of the site.(g) Required procedures. In addition to other procedural requirements that may apply, a county seeking to designate an industrial land bank under this section must: (i) Provide county-wide notice, in conformance with RCW 36.70A.035, of the intent to designate an industrial land bank. Notice must be published in a newspaper or newspapers of general circulation reasonably likely to reach subscribers in all geographic areas of the county. Notice must be provided not less than thirty days prior to commencement of consideration by the county legislative body; and(ii) Make a written determination of the criteria and rationale used by the legislative body as the basis for siting an industrial land bank under this chapter.Wash. Admin. Code § 365-196-470
Statutory Authority: RCW 36.70A.050 and 36.70A.190. 10-03-085, § 365-196-470, filed 1/19/10, effective 2/19/10.