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King County Executive Ron Sims today unveiled the region’s blueprint for growth with the updated 2000 comprehensive land use plan. The plan calls for continued efforts to preserve rural lands, prevent sprawl and make it easier for growth to occur in urban areas. It also continues to coordinate land use with transportation planning to address the critical issue of congestion.
“Our regional growth management policies are working. They are slowing growth at an unprecedented rate in the rural areas. We’re not going to let up now,” said Sims. “This updated plan reflects my continuing commitment to our SmartGrowth Initiatives, of keeping rural areas rural, by guiding regional growth responsibly in urban areas where facilities and services already exist or can be readily provided. We do not move the urban growth area boundary line.”
After an almost two-year review and public input process, Sims will send his recommended King County Comprehensive Plan 2000 to the County Council for review and adoption. The plan guides growth and development throughout the region and establishes King County’s position on major issues such as land use, annexations, resource and environmental protection.
“This is the first significant revision of the plan since it was adopted in 1994, as required by the Washington State Growth Management Act,” said Sims. “We held more than two dozen public meetings throughout the County, and we attended numerous others to hear what citizens and stakeholders had to tell us. We listened. We made revisions to the plan based on the comments we received at the public meetings, through e-mail, phone calls, and letters,” Sims continued.
“This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Growth Management Act, which required an initial plan with regular updates, such as this one. The plan I am introducing today will put into law critically important coordinated measures that will help us further manage land use and transportation in a thorough, well thought-out growth management plan that will retain and enhance the quality of life in King County and for the region.”
Key elements in the 2000 Comprehensive Plan Update include:
- Retaining rural character by holding the urban area growth boundary line.
- Limiting the size and scale of new nonresidential uses in the rural area.
- Reaffirming the County’s forest production district as an area for growing and harvesting of trees by restricting new residences to only those lots created on or before January 1, 2000. A forest management plan will be required for all new development; and the amount of land that can be disturbed for a new home will also be limited.
- Applying the 20-acre zone (one house per 20 acres) to areas that currently have a predominance of large lots and are in close proximity to the County’s agricultural and forest lands.
- Refining boundaries of rural forest districts to retain forest cover and offering incentives for forestry activities
- Community action strategies, a new initiative to set priorities for public spending on new transportation capacity projects in areas of urban unincorporated King County that can best sustain growth, transit and housing capacity per dollar spent.
- Allowing for new flexibility in urban residential development, and encouraging mixed-use developments that provide convenient access to shopping and services and use land efficiently.
- Continuing and expanding King County’s role as a regional service provider in critical areas such as transit, regional transportation arterial network planning, public health, regional parks, wastewater collection and treatment, solid waste, water resource management, surface water management and flood warning and preservation of natural resources.
- Protecting both the rural and urban environments remains a priority through air quality, water resources, soils, plant, fish and animal habitats. This includes protecting and restoring salmon through a comprehensive watershed-based approach in conjunction with other jurisdictions, federal and state agencies, tribes, special districts and citizens.
- Supporting development of a regional water supply assessment and if needed a plan for the region.
- Continuing commitments are spelled out for economic development, affordable housing and, for the first time, a human services component all aimed at promoting livable communities.
“The Council will review the plan during the spring and summer with adoption expected this fall,” said Sims. “I urge citizens to stay involved, to attend Council meetings and hearings, and to let Council members know what you think”
The Executive Recommended King County Comprehensive Plan will soon be available for
review on the County's Office of Regional Policy & Planning website.
It is also available at all King County Library System branches, the downtown branch of the
Seattle Public Library, King County’s Office of Regional Policy and Planning (516 Third
Avenue, Room 420 in Seattle), and at the Department of Development and
Environmental Services (900 Oakesdale Ave SW, in Renton).
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[Enlarged view]
King County Executive Ron Sims released today the 2000 Comprehensive Plan, which governs land use and development in King County.
[Enlarged view]
Executive Sims listens as Ken Konigsmark, from the King County Rural Forrest District explains the process of implementing the 2000 Comprehensive Plan.
[Enlarged view]
Karen Wolf, planner with the King County Office of Regional Policy and Planning, covers the details of the 2000 Comprehensive Plan during Tuesday's press briefing.
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