Click here to skip to main content.
scenic picture from Washington state
SUBJECTS › PLANNING › GMA Plan/Development Regulations Updates
Updated 12/09

GMA Plan/Development Regulations Updates

Contents

Introduction

The Growth Management Act (GMA) requires that each Washington city and county establish a public participation program and procedures for amendments, updates and revisions of comprehensive plans and development regulations. With some exceptions, proposed amendments or updates may be considered no more frequently than once every year and must be considered concurrently, so that the cumulative effects may be evaluated.

Each Washington city and county must periodically review and, if needed, revise its comprehensive plan and development regulations every seven years to ensure that they comply with the GMA, as per the schedule provided in  RCW 36.70A.130(4).  Cities and counties planning under RCW 36.70A.040 (fully planning cities and counties) must complete such a periodic update for their entire comprehensive plan and development regulations.  All counties and cities, including those not fully planning under the GMA, are required to review and, if necessary, amend their policies and development regulations regarding critical areas and natural resource lands. Critical areas ordinances must incorporate requirements for use of best available science and give special consideration to anadromous fisheries - see information on Critical Areas and Best Available Science.      

In 2006, the legislature adopted Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6427, Chapter 285, Laws of 2006, regarding Growth Management Act update schedules. This statute provides a time extension beyond the original statute deadlines to certain small and slow-growing jurisdictions for updates to their comprehensive plans, development regulations and critical areas ordinances. It contains qualifying criteria and clarification that jurisdictions making progress on their updates will be eligible for state grants, loans, pledges and financial guarantees. This statute also clarifies that amendments to comprehensive plans necessary to enact planned actions may occur more frequently than annually, subject to certain requirements.  (This extension provision is codified in RCW 36.70A.130(5)(b) & (c)).

A jurisdiction may complete its update before its official deadline. In this case, its next deadline would remain seven years from its original deadline. For example, if a jurisdiction has an update deadline on December 1, 2011, but completes its update in 2010, it next deadline would remain December 1, 2018. In contrast, a jurisdiction which qualified for a three year extension of its deadline would face its next update deadline in seven years from the extended deadline, if it continued to qualify for the extension. If not, its next deadline would be seven years from the original deadline. As a result, the jurisdiction should determine if it will continue to qualify for extensions, before its originally scheduled deadline.  

In addition, RCW 36.70A.130(3) requires counties and cities to review, at least every ten years, designated UGAs, the densities permitted within each UGA, and the nature of development that has occurred. UGAs and comprehensive plans are to be revised to accommodate the urban growth projected for the succeeding twenty-year period.

RCW 90.58.080 provides a timetable of deadlines by which local governments must complete or amend their shoreline master program to be consistent with state guidelines. The legislature adopted HB 1412 in 2007 -  providing for a one year extension beyond the deadlines in RCW 90.58.080. The Department of Ecology must grant the request if it determines that the local government is likely to adopt or amend its master program within the additional year. 

For the update schedule for all counties, see statutory deadlines for GMA-related actions. 

The Washington State Department of Commerce (formerly Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development) has prepared information on plan updates.  Please see the Department's webpage: Growth Management Act Periodic Update.  This webpage includes a link to a very useful guidebook on completing the periodic update: the “Keeping Your Comprehensive Plan and Development Regulations Current,” October 2009. Guidebook appendices include checklists, sample work programs, resolutions/ordinances and other helpful aids. Appendix E of this guidebook includes a list of amendments to GMA that should help alert local jurisdictions to corresponding amendments that may be needed in local comprehensive plans to maintain consistency to GMA.  The same web page includes a link to the webinar: Growth Management Periodic Update Grant Application Webinar.  The Department of Commerce website also includes other resource documents for updates.  

GMA Update Background Information

  • Washington State Department of Commerce (formerly Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development) webpage: Growth Management Act Periodic Update - Includes a link to a very useful guidebook on completing the periodic update: the “Keeping Your Comprehensive Plan and Development Regulations Current,” October 2009.
  • Summary of SSB 5841 - Extending GMA Plan/Development Regulation Update Deadlines, 2002.
  • ESSB 6427 - GMA timelines, and provision for three year extension for certain small and slow-growing jurisdictions, 2006.
  • Technical Bulletin 1.2 Adobe Acrobat Document GMA Updates: Level of Review and Revision for Counties and Cities "Fully Planning" under the Growth Management Act, Washington State Department of Commerce (formerly CTED).
  • Technical Bulletin 1.3 Adobe Acrobat Document GMA Updates: Population Data, Washington State Department of Commerce (formerly CTED).
  • Technical Bulletin 1.4 GMA Updates: Optional Processes for Review and Revision of Comprehensive Plans and Development Regulations under the Growth Management Act, Washington State Department of Commerce (formerly CTED).  
  • GMA Update: Issues To Consider When Reviewing Comprehensive Plans and Development Regulations, Washington State Department of Commerce (formerly CTED).
  • GMA Update Resource Documents, Washington State Department of Commerce (formerly CTED).
  • Frequently Asked Questions Regarding GMA Updates, Washington State Department of Commerce (formerly CTED).
  • Good Example Documents for Plan Updates, Washington State Department of Commerce (formerly CTED).

Local Plan and Critical Area Update Programs

Cities

Counties

Ordinances Adopting Comprehensive Plan Updates

Annual (or Periodic) Comprehensive Plan Amendments/Updates

Comprehensive Plan Update Work Program & Process Examples

Specific Update Topics Related to Recent Legislation or Current Issues

  • Critical Areas - MRSC webpage that includes critical area ordinance update programs.
  • Best Available Science - MRSC webpage - all counties and cities must include the best available science in developing critical areas policies and development regulations.
  • Endangered Species - Salmon and Bull Trout - MRSC webpage.
  • SEPA - MRSC webpage.
  • Promotion of Physical Activity and Pedestrian & Bicycle Sub-Element - additions to land use and transportation elements, as required by ESSB 5186. 
  • Siting of Secure Community Transition Facilities - RCW 36.70A.200 - MRSC webpage.  All counties and cities were required to amend policies and development regulations to establish a process by September 1, 2002.
  • Manufactured Housing Location and Design - MRSC webpage - Consistent with legislation effective July 1, 2005, cities and counties must regulate manufactured homes built to federal manufactured housing construction standards no differently than they regulate other types of homes.
  • New Mandatory Parks Element - A mandatory requirement for a park and recreation element was added to the required GMA comprehensive plan elements during the 2002 legislative session. The requirement may be found at RCW 36.70A.070(8) & (9).  Although new or amended elements are to be adopted concurrent with the scheduled update provided in RCW 36.70A.130, that requirement is postponed until adequate state funding is available. See the MRSC Parks and Recreation web page.
  • New Mandatory Economic Development Element - A mandatory requirement for an economic development element was added to the required GMA comprehensive plan elements during the 2002 legislative session. The requirement may be found at RCW 36.70A.070(7) & (9). Although new or amended elements are to be adopted concurrent with the scheduled update provided in RCW 36.70A.130, that requirement is postponed until adequate state funding is available. See the MRSC Planning for Economic Development web page.

Links to Other Related Web Sites