— by Margie Doyle —
William Wright, retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel and software engineer for Boeing Defense Programs, spoke to about 28 people at the June 20th Eagle Forum organized to address the repeal of the Washington State Growth Management Act.
This year, the state legislature passed and Governor Jay Inslee signed into law GMA repeal legislation stipulating that counties with less than 20,000 residents in one of the past five years can opt out of the GMA.
With the passage of the Engrossed House Bill 1224, regarding GMA Planning obligations, on March 31, 2014 with the law going into effect on June 12, 2014, there is now “a process for county legislative authorities to withdraw from voluntary planning under the GMA,” says Wright
Wright’s slides and speech presented a history of the passage of the Growth Management Act dating from the state Growth Strategies Commission’s recommendations in 1989 to the passage of the law in 1991.
Wright challenged San Juan County Commissioners’ decision to opt into the GMA, saying that their decision on the basis that it was “arbitrary and capricious” and that it “ignored substantive due process.” Wright noted that the GMA legislation was not signed into law until seven months later, in July 1991.
Wright further recommended that San Juan County comply with the partial planning “rural” elements of GMA, instead of all eight elements of full GMA planning:
1) land use
2) housing
3) capital facilities
4) utilities
5) rural
6) transportation
7) economic
8) park and recreation
His rationale for opting out of full GMA compliance includes:
- Returning local control: the County’s decision to comply with the GMA “didn’t fix the problems addressing rural counties;”
- Removal of the Growth Management Hearings Board (GMHB);
- Only “Rural” or partial planning is required
Wright noted that the Town of Friday Harbor will also only do partial planning.
Wright made plain his vantage point on government’s environmental restrictions and protection, calling eel grass “the sacred cow of the environmentalists,” and stating “The goal of FutureWise and Friends of San Juans is to get all population into high rises in urban areas.”
Wright, who filed a lawsuit against GMAHB in 1992, said, “In my opinion [ESB]1224 makes GMA ripe for judicial action.”
We are concerned about this attitude toward “environmentalists”, as though it is wrong, silly, hopeless to be concerned about the environment.
Mr Wright is right ! As a community we should be smart enough to plan and prepare for our own growth without the state telling us what is good for us.One of the key issues that forces growth close to our towns is zoning…Perhaps ……it is time to allow more than one home on ten and twenty acre parcels….more folks could live in the country instead of being crowded around town…..Yes eel grass is important but not so that a property owner is prohibited from building a dock ! After all the tax assessor loves docks !
The Eagle Forum is a group of conservative citizens who believe that limited government is essential for Americans to be truly free. To that end we believe it is important to be educated and informed on the myriad laws and issues that are projected to be “good” for all of us.
The presentation by Mr. Wright was an opportunity to educate ourselves and the community about a significant change in a Law which has cost our county tens of thousands of dollars to study and implement. The GMA have driven divisiveness into our daily lives, our elections, our love for these islands and individually our pocket books. Money has been contributed to campaigns and lawyers to the pursuit of which view of the CAO one has. Certainly more will be spent and lives will continue to be impacted by these laws.
The title of this article does not reflect our intention. We are not stirring up contention in our county. BUT, if this “shot” is heard round the county and leads us to freely discussed the possibilities of freedom from the chains of Government, then the phraseology is acceptable.
We hope discussion leads us all closer to the life, liberty and pursuit of happiness our Founders envisioned for us.
Rick Boucher
Eagle Forum President
Not sure why there is “firing opening salvo” imagery here.
The question is whether the complex and bureaucratic GMA planning process has added anything to the quality of our lives, much less anything proportionate to the costs. It is possible now for small counties to engage in more limited planning appropriate for rural areas like ours.
I think it is safe to say that this issue is not one that ties to any political camp. It comes back to a question of necessity and control.
Does development in our rural county need the GMA to guide our decision making process? And do we have the proper tools available locally to control this process without undue, one-size-fits-all regulation?
It sure seems like a lot of work for nothing- especially since the state legislature seems confident that we don’t need it. I hope our county council looks at our options and considers all sides in making a decision about what direction San Juan County will go.
Does Mr. Wright understand ANYTHING? I challenge him to take a tour of Eastsound with me! I can explain about the “sacred cow” and a lot more if he will open his eyes and ears and hear me out. Where was Mr Wright when Eastsound Swale was being destroyed for the last 20 years?!
Upon reading this article again and the comments thus far, I’m confused… What exactly does the Eagle Forum stand for? To accuse FutureWise and Friends of trying to get “all populations into high rises in urban areas” – I can’t speak to the accuracy of that comment because the truth is, neither you nor those groups stepped up to help the few of us who fought to protect Eastsound Watershed. And, honestly, didn’t CD&P and Council already do that to Eastsound, with help also from the Eagle Forum and Commonsense Alliance? So I think that many are responsible for where we’re at now, and I am eager to discuss Eastsound with any members of Eagle Forum who will meet with me for historic “tour” of the last 20++ years of carnage to a high-functioning watershed. We can’t understand where to go until we understand what happened and what failed – and why eelgrass just might be important. If you people are for allowing responsible and modest development to open up again, AWAY from Eastsound, and protecting what pathetic little is left to us here, then I’m all for it! Let’s meet!
Sadie,
I think you would find that the effect of the GMA has been exactly opposite of what you would prefer.
The GMA applies urban growth planning requirements that are designed for highly urbanized and populous areas to areas such as ours which face a very different type of planning necessity. The result is focused development which does exactly as you state in your concerns. Because of the boiler-plate regulatory requirements we end up with planning that often ignores the intricacies of our unique county situation.
I think one would be hard pressed to find many ways that the GMA has improved our situation in the islands and given your example may even find that it has caused more harm than good.