Concurrency for water, sewer, and transportation facilities is a requirement of the state s Growth Management Act. Before a new development is approved, the county s comprehensive plan requires that sewers and water must be in place. Roads must be in place or funded for construction within three years. Critical areas are those that must be protected and preserved according to the county s comprehensive plan. This includes wetlands, sensitive fish and wildlife habitat areas, critical recharge areas for groundwater aquifers, flood-prone areas, and geological hazardous areas, such as landslide areas, earthquake fault zones, and steep slopes.
Density means the number of housing units per acre when used to describe residential development.
The goal is to make efficient use of land, maintain differences between urban areas and rural areas, and make delivering public services in urban areas cost-effective. If density is not increased in urban areas, then there will be additional pressure to extend projected population growth into rural areas that are relatively undeveloped. The Growth Management Act was passed by the Washington State Legislature in 1990. It requires that fast-growing counties like ours develop Comprehensive Growth Management Plans, which manage growth to meet certain goals. These include such things as reducing sprawl and encouraging development in urban areas, efficient transportation, affordable housing, and economic development.