by
<a href="mailto:carls@awcnet.org">Carl Schroeder</a>, <a href="mailto:shannonm@awcnet.org">Shannon McClelland</a> | Feb 07, 2020
<a target="_blank" href="https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=2673&Year=2019&Initiative=false"><strong>HB 2673</strong></a> was originally drafted to automatically exempt infill development from the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA).
HB 2673 was originally drafted to automatically exempt infill development from the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA). Although that provision was struck during committee action, other changes to infill development remain.
The substitute version of HB 2673, sponsored by Rep. Andrew Barkis (R–Olympia), does the following:
- Restores infill development to a categorical exemption under SEPA that cities or counties can choose to adopt;
- Provides that infill development may be exempt from SEPA if located where current density or intensity of use is roughly equal to that called for in a Growth Management Act (GMA) comprehensive plan; and
- Provides that infill development must clearly exceed the density or intensity of use called for in a GMA comprehensive plan in order to fail to qualify for the SEPA exemption.
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