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What is Expedited Review?
When to Request Expedited Review
How to Request Expedited Review
Principles Governing Expedited Review
Expedited Review Request Form
Expedited Review Instructions
Who to Contact About Expedited Review

A local government may request expedited review when providing notice of intent to adopt a development regulation under RCW 36.70A.106. 

Under RCW 36.70A.106(3)(b), the Growth Management Act (GMA) provides the Department of Commerce, with authority to grant expedited review for certain development regulation amendments.  Expedited review, if granted, allows jurisdictions to adopt a minor development regulation amendment in a shorter time frame than the standard 60-day review period.

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Expedited review is intended for amendments to development regulations in cases where state agencies will not comment on the proposal and where, without expedited review, the state agency review process would needlessly delay the jurisdictions adoption schedule. Comprehensive plan amendments are not eligible for expedited review.

Some kinds of development regulations are almost certain to impact various state agencies and are therefore not good candidates for expedited review. Critical areas ordinances, concurrency ordinances or ordinances regulating essential public facilities are examples of development regulations will usually require the normal 60-day review period.

Notification of state agencies, as required under the GMA, is designed to provide these agencies with an opportunity to participate in the public participation process for local plans and regulations as interested parties and agencies with expertise. This notification is most useful early in the public participation process. Jurisdictions are encouraged to notify state agencies under RCW 36.70A.106 as soon as a draft proposal is available. This allows for early comments by the state agencies and an early opportunity for coordination between state agencies and local government. An on-going dialogue when proposals are still in conceptual stages can also be very helpful when working with complex issues.

Expedited review should not be used as a substitute for timely notification of state agencies or as a reason to shorten an adequate public participation process. If the public participation plan on the proposed ordinance will take longer than 60 days, it is best to use the normal 60-day review process. Expedited review is useful in those unusual circumstances where a jurisdiction must use a short timeline for adoption of minor code amendments.

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Click here for a cover sheet requesting expedited review.

Once you have determined that it is appropriate to request expedited review for a proposal, fill out the form and attach it to an e-mail, along with a draft of the proposed development regulation amendment. Requests must be in the form of an electronic submittal and must be accompanied by a draft, a completed application showing the proposed adoption timeline.

If you are planning to request expedited review for a package of ordinances that your legislative body will take a separate action on, please consider filing a separate request for each. If the request is made on a package, state agencies must either approve or deny the request on the entire package. Sending them separately may allow some items to go forward even if expedited review must be denied one of the individual ordinances.

Once GMS receives a request for expedited review, it will forward the request to interested state agencies. State agencies will have ten working days to review the materials and respond to the Department of Commerce. At the end of the ten-day period, the department will notify the local jurisdiction that either:

(1) No state agency will be commenting and expedited review is granted. The jurisdiction may adopt the amendments at any time; or

(2) A state agency is interested in commenting and who the contact person with the state agency is. Expedited review is declined and the local jurisdiction will then follow the normal 60-day review process. In this case, the 60-day period begins on the date the request for expedited review was received, not on the date expedited review was denied.

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Link to Principles of Expedited Review Information Sheet

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Request for Expedited Review of Development Regulations Form

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In March 2004, the Legislature passed SHB 2781, which provides the Department of Commerce with authority to grant expedited review by state agencies of certain development regulations or development regulation amendments under the GMA. Expedited review, if granted, allows for jurisdictions to adopt minor development regulations amendments in a shorter time period than 60 days. Local governments may request expedited review when they are providing notice of intent to adopt development regulations under RCW 36.70A.106.

Expedited Review Instructions  (August 16, 2004)

Expedited Review Request Form

List of State Agencies Reviewing Comprehensive Plans

List of State Agencies Reviewing Development Regulations

Link to Principles of Expedited Review Information Sheet

To avoid confusion and ensure prompt review by state agencies, please attach a brief cover letter identifying that the draft is being forwarded in accordance with RCW 36.70A.106. Click here for an example of a cover letter.

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To submit a request, please submit and e-mail with the proposed draft and the completed form to Review Team.

For more information, or if you have questions, contact:

David Andersen
Planning and Review Team Manager
Department of Commerce, Growth Management Services
(360) 725-3052 

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