Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Bill would let cities create 'housing development opportunity zones' on large commercial sites; advocates praise concept, planners urge fixes
Summary
The Local Government Committee on March 19 took testimony on substitute Senate Bill 57‑49, a proposal to let local jurisdictions designate ‘‘housing development opportunity zones’’ that prioritize residential development on large commercial sites and that can be temporarily exempt from certain Growth Management Act review requirements.
The Local Government Committee on March 19 took public testimony on substitute Senate Bill 57‑49, which would let cities, towns and code cities designate ‘‘housing development opportunity zones’’ in parts of their jurisdictions characterized by large commercial development and existing improvements such as parking and landscaping.
Michelle Rask, staff to the committee, summarized the bill’s principal provisions: a designated zone must prioritize housing, use existing project site area and any existing stormwater permits, utilize existing facilities and infrastructure and adhere to originally required development setbacks. Local jurisdictions could waive impact fees for projects in the zone and implement local regulations for the zone without immediate Growth Management Act (GMA) review;…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
