Planners' Update Newsletter Commerce to Initiate Growth Management Act Rulemaking Commerce is preparing to review and update the administrative rules for the Growth Management Act (GMA). Over the next 18 months, we will consider amendments to our administrative rules based on legislative changes, new case law and the need to clarify any statutory requirements that the existing rules do not adequately address. Examples of recent legislative changes that require updates include the new periodic update schedule, the buildable lands program and school siting provisions. We will finalize rulemaking by June 30, 2022 so that local governments have clear guidance on how to implement GMA requirements before the next round of periodic updates. The subject of possible rulemaking includes: - Chapter 365-196 Washington Advisory Code (WAC), Procedural Criteria for Adopting Comprehensive Plans and Development Regulations
- Chapter 365-190 WAC, Minimum Guidelines to Classify Agricultural, Forest and Mineral Lands and Critical Areas
- Chapter 365-195 WAC, Best Available Science
Growth Management Services will release a scope of potential changes in the spring of 2021. We will begin releasing proposed changes to the administrative rules by Aug. 31 for public comment, and will provide additional materials and information about the rulemaking effort on our EZ View Site: Growth Management Act WAC Update. You can also contact the project manager, William Simpson, if you have questions, comments or want to learn more about the update, e-mail or call william.simpson@commerce.wa.gov, 509-280-3602.  Housing Element Guidance and Webinar Commerce will finalize and publish guidance on Housing Elements of Comprehensive Plans in February on its Planning for Housing webpage. In coordination with MRSC, a free webinar on this Housing Element Guidance is scheduled for March 25 from 1 - 2:30 p.m. More information on this webinar and a link to register can be found on MRSC's Upcoming Webinars webpage here. Upcoming planners' forums - The Peninsula Planner's Forum on Housing will be on Monday, Feb. 22 from 1 - 4 p.m. (virtual meeting). The agenda with Zoom registration information will be posted on the Planners' Forum webpage in mid- February. The Housing focused webinar will include the following speakers and topics:
- James Young, director at the University of Washington Center for Real Estate Research (WCRER), will present on the recently published Housing Market Data Toolkit. Data in the toolkit is provided for all Washington cities over 10,000 in population and for all counties in the state.
- Emily Grossman, Commerce housing policy and strategy advisor, will present on homelessness, the homeless housing system and funding, and what planners can do to help with the local homelessness response.
- Laura Hodgson, Commerce associate planner, will look at how the data within the WCRER's Housing Market Toolkit can be used to identify and understand the housing market and needs of communities.
Presentations from past Regional Planners' Forums can be found on Commerce's webpage here: https://www.commerce.wa.gov/serving-communities/growth-management/regional-planners-forums/. Short Course on local planning The Short Course on local planning offered by Commerce offers: - An overview of the complex mix of land use planning laws that work together to support land-use decision-making in Washington state,
- An introduction to comprehensive planning and plan implementation under the Growth Management Act,
- A review of the roles in planning and best practices for public participation, and
- Mandatory training on the Open Public Meetings Act for local government officials and introduction to the Public Records Act.
All courses are offered at no charge and are open to the public. The schedule for Short Courses on local planning in 2021 are noted below. Click on the link for registration. Some courses are scheduled during the day to allow staff to attend. Governor's Smart Communities Award – details coming in March The Governor's Smart Communities Awards program recognizes outstanding efforts of local communities, and their partners throughout the state, to create vibrant and livable communities through achieving the goals of the Growth Management Act and other community development objectives. Administered by Commerce since 2006, the awards recognize local governments whose exceptional planning efforts have enriched their community including: job growth, economic development, housing affordability, parks and recreation, transportation and subarea development. These achievements are outstanding models for Washington's local governments. Details on award categories and nomination forms will be coming in March to both the Growth Management Services website and this newsletter. 2021 Critical Areas and Shoreline Monitoring and Adaptive Management Online workshops Commerce, Ecology and Fish and Wildlife invite you to join us for an in-depth review of best practices, case studies, resources and tools to enhance monitoring and adaptive management efforts for your critical areas and shorelines. Click on a link below to register for the free zoom webinars (you may choose to attend one or all). All webinars will be held from 9 -1 1 a.m. For full webinar descriptions and more information about the series, visit the project webpage. In case you missed the first few workshops, links to the recordings and presentations of past workshops will be posted on the project webpage. Subscribe to our Planners' Update Newsletter Do you have new staff or know of someone who would like to know about planning news in Washington? If so, please direct them to sign up for the Commerce's Planners' Update newsletter by visiting the main Department of Commerce webpage at https://www.commerce.wa.gov/. Scroll to the bottom of the page to the "subscribe" area, enter your email and click "submit" to choose subscriptions you would like to receive. | 
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