Road Map To Washington’s Future ROAD MAP TO WASHINGTON’S FUTURE Project Overview In 2015, Washington State legislators asked the William D. Ruckelshaus Center (Center) to design a process for a comprehensive and collaborative look at the Growth Management Act (GMA). To gauge support for this effort and identify an appropriate scope, the Center conducted a Pre-Assessment from October 2016 through June 2017. The Pre-Assessment consisted of a series of conversations with individuals from dozens of groups, organizations, tribal, state, and local governments. Based on input from the parties, the Center recommended a process to: (1) articulate a vision of a desired future for Washington, and (2) examine the planning framework that provides the path to reach that desired future. The growth planning framework in Washington includes the Growth Management Act, the Shoreline Management Act, the State Environmental Policy Act and other laws, institutions and policies. The Legislature responded to the pre-assessment by allocating funds to the Center for a two year project to create a “Road Map to Washington’s Future.” The budget proviso outlined a scope, schedule, and general process for the project. The purpose of the project is to articulate a vision of Washington’s desired future and identify additions, revisions, or clarifications to the state’s growth management framework of laws, institutions, and policies needed to reach that future. Project Components and Schedule Provided is a brief description of the core components of the Road Map project. Given the scope, schedule, and complexity of the project, the Center’s Project Team recognizes that these components will evolve or may need to be modified. The Project Team also recognizes it is not possible to engage every individual involved in, affected by, or interested in the growth planning framework. The Team will implement inclusive engagement including a diversity of representatives from federal, tribal, state, county, and city governments, private and non‐profit entities, advocacy organizations, associations, elected officials, underrepresented populations, and other interested parties. Individual and Group Interviews: The purpose of interviews is to identify the strengths, weaknesses, issues, and potential solutions or improvements to the growth planning framework. Multi-SectorWorkshops: In order to understand how the framework aligns with, creates barriers to, and/ or supports the desired future of the communities it is meant to serve, the Center’s project team will be conducting 26+ workshops across the state. Broad based input is needed in order for the project team to better understand what communities across the state desire for Washington’s future, what communities care about and have challenges about, and to reflect what is unique and important about different regions of the state. THE WILLIAM D.RUCKELSHAUS CENTER Sept. 2018 Road Map To Washington’s Future Elected Official Workshops: The project team will conduct an additional 26+ workshops across the state for elected officials, in order to understand how the framework aligns with, creates barriers to, and/or supports the desired future of their communities. Regional/State-Wide Groups Workshops: As time and resources allow, the Project Team will conduct workshops for regional/state-wide groups and associations, including the Washington State Association of Counties and the Association of Washington Cities. Research: Throughout the project, and during interviews and workshops, the project team will be looking to identify pertinent data needs and partnering with state public universities on targeted research. The Team will also review pertinent independent studies, as appropriate, from other entities. Next Generation: Understanding what the next generation of Washingtonians (young adults) desire for the future, and the values that underlie that future, is an essential component of the project and will complement the workshops. The Project Team is working with university partners to create a project for students to design and implement the engagement strategy to solicit the ideas and opinions of the next generation of Washingtonians in defining that future vision. Potential Group Convening: A potential component of the project is a convening of key parties to explore areas of agreement on additions, revisions, or clarifications to the state’s growth planning framework. Whether, and how the convening process will be crafted and conducted will be based on preliminary findings from the interviews and workshops. Final Report: The Center will submit a final report to committees of the Legislature by June 30, 2019. For more information, contact: Joseph Tovar Amanda Murphy Affiliate Faculty, College of Built Environments, UW Sr. Project Lead, The William D. Ruckelshaus Center Adjunct Faculty, WSU Extension Extension Assistant Professor, WSU Extension Tel: 425.263.2792 Email: [email protected] Tel: 206-219-2409 Email: [email protected] The William D. Ruckelshaus Center is a neutral resource for collaborative problem solving in the State of Washington and the Pacific Northwest, dedicated to assisting public, private, tribal, non-profit, and other community leaders in their efforts to build consensus and resolve conflicts around difficult public policy issues. It is a joint effort of Washington State University hosted and administered by WSU Extension and the University of Washington hosted by the Daniel J. Evans School of Public Policy and Governance. For more information visit www.ruckelshauscenter.wsu.edu Growth Management Act – RCW 36.70A Growth Planning Framework Shoreline Management Act – RCW 90.58 State Environmental Policy Act –RCW 43.21C Local Project Review Act – RCW 36.70B REVISED CODE OF Land Use Petition Act – RCW 36.70C WASHINGTON Planning Enabling Act – RCW 36.70 Subdivision Statute – RCW 58.17 Water System Coordination Act – RCW 70.116 Regional Transportation Planning – RCW 47.80 City and County Governance – RCW 35, 35A, 36 OTHER PLANNING LAWS Port Districts – RCW 53 School Districts RCW 28 GOVERNANCE & INSTITUTIONS Water and Sewer Districts – RCW 57 Energy Facilities Siting Board – RCW 80.50 REVENUE AUTHORITY State Agencies and Universities STATE CONSTITUTION Community Redevelopment Financing- RCW 39.89 U.S. CONSTITUTION FEDERAL LAW, LANDS & AGENCIES Multi-Family Property Tax Exemption – RCW 84.14 TRIBAL GOVERNMENTS Impact Fees - RCW 82.02 THE ROAD MAP TO WILLIAM D.RUCKELSHAUS CENTER WASHINGTON’S FUTURE September 2018 DATA INVENTORY The Project Team is working with university partners to compile, and review pertinent data and independent studies. For example, students have looked at how vision statements in comprehensive plans correspond to the Growth Management Act’s 14 planning goals, and the experience in seven counties with the provisions with Local Areas of More Intensive Rural Development. MULTI-SECTOR WORKSHOPS The team is conducting workshops in 26 locations across the state to better understand what people desire for the future of their state and regions and what’s needed to reach that future. As of September 2018, the team has convened 18 multi- PROJECT UPDATE sector workshops in 16 locations, with well over six hundred participants. Washington State legislators allocated funds to the William D. ELECTED OFFICIAL WORKSHOPS Ruckelshaus Center and outlined a scope, schedule, and general process The team has also conducted 17 workshops for federal, tribal, state, and local for “A Road Map to Washington’s elected officials across the state to understand how the framework aligns with, Future.” The purpose is to articulate a creates barriers to, and/or supports the desired future of their communities. vision of Washington’s desired future and identify additions, revisions, or INTERVIEWS clarifications to the state’s growth management framework needed to Interviews are being held with representatives of environmental, business, real reach that future. estate and building industry organizations, local government associations, state agencies, tribal governments, public health and planning organizations, Information Gathering in 2018 transportation, business, and economic development advocacy groups. In order to understand how the framework aligns with, creates barriers to, and/or supports the REGIONAL & STATE-WIDE GROUPS desired future of the communities it As time and resources allow, the team is conducting workshops for regional is meant to serve, the Project Team and state-wide groups. So far the team has convened workshops for the has been traveling across the state Association of Washington Cities, the Washington State Association of Counties, gathering information and talking the Washington State Department of Transportation, the Governor’s Affordable with individuals and representatives Housing Advisory Board, and other state agencies. of entities with a role, interest, or knowledge of the planning NEXT GENERATION framework. The project team is working with university students who are designing an engagement strategy to solicit the ideas and opinions of the next generation of Washingtonians (generally 18 to 35 year-olds). ONLINE QUESTIONNAIRE Recognizing that not everyone can attend a workshop or feels represented by one of the groups being interviewed, the team has made available an online questionnaire. So far, more than 300 people have provide their answers to the same questions posed at the workshops. Road Map To Washington’s Future 2019 Timeline January 2019 INFORMATION ANALYSIS The project team