January 9, 1998
| The Honorable Gary Locke Governor 2nd Floor Legislative Building Olympia, WA 98504 |
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| The Honorable Dan McDonald Senate Majority Leader 3rd Floor Legislative Building Olympia, WA 98504 |
The Honorable Sid Snyder Senate Democratic Leader 3rd Floor Legislative Building Olympia, WA 98504 |
| The Honorable Clyde Ballard Speaker, House of Representatives 3rd Floor Legislative Building Olympia, WA 98504 |
The Honorable Marlin Appelwick House Democratic Leader 3rd Floor Legislative Building Olympia, WA 98504 |
RE: Land Use Study Commission 1997 Annual Report
Dear Governor Locke, Senator McDonald, Senator Snyder, Speaker Ballard, and Representative Appelwick:
It is with great pleasure that I transmit to you the Land Use Study Commission’s 1997 Annual Report and Legislative Recommendations. It has been a both a rewarding and a challenging experience for all of us on the Commission to grapple with the issues you have presented to us. We hope that you will find this report and our final report in June 1998 of some assistance.
I am certain you will be pleased to hear that the Legislative recommendations made by the Commission this year are considerably shorter than last year. You will also be pleased to know that the Commission is making consensus recommendations to resolve the mineral resource lands issue, an issue that has confronted the Legislature and the Governor several times over the last seven years. The Commission’s recommendations for resolving this dispute have been endorsed by all of the interests that have been engaged in debating this issue. Part of the resolution will require additional financial resources for the Department of Natural Resources. The Commission hopes you will agree with us that the small amount of money requested ($680,000 over three years) is a small price to pay to resolve this thorny issue.
The Commission is also recommending extending for two more years the existing law directing cities and counties to make a decision within 120 days on a development permit application. The Commission believes that there is not enough experience yet with this provision on which to base recommendations for change. At the same time, the Commission believes this requirement is an important component of regulatory reform that should not be allowed to expire.
The third area of legislative recommendation would correct some drafting errors and oversights contained in the Commission’s recommendations relating to annexation that were enacted by the 1997 Legislature as part of ESB 6094.
The Commission has less than six months to finish its work. The major task remaining is the development of a consolidated land use code. We have made substantial progress on this task. Over the next three months we will have several advisory committees assist us in completing our task. We will present our recommendations on this important issue to the Governor and the Legislature as part of our final report in June.
I would like to conclude with one final comment. The Commission has been saddened by the death this week of our friend and colleague Terry Husseman. Terry served with great distinction and was a major contributor in what success the Commission has had in resolving the issues you have placed with us. Terry was highly regarded by all for his integrity and judgment. We will miss him.
I would be happy to meet with you to discuss the Commission’s recommendations and its annual report. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me, at 206 623-1745, or Harry Reinert, our Executive Director at 206 389-2543.
Sincerely,
T. Ryan Durkan
Chair