Washington Administrative Code › Title 365 - Commerce, Department of (Community Development) › Chapter 365-196 - Growth Management Act-Procedural criteria for adopting comprehensive plans and development regulations › Part FOUR - FEATURES OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN › Section 365-196-420 - Utilities element

Current through Register Vol. 24-14, July 15, 2024
(1) Requirements.
						The utilities element shall contain at least the following features: The
						general location, proposed location, and capacity of all existing and proposed
						utilities, including, but not limited to, electrical lines, telecommunication
						lines, and natural gas lines.
(2)
						Recommendations for meeting requirements. Counties and cities should consider
						the following:
(a) The general location and
						capacity of existing and proposed utility facilities should be integrated with
						the land use element. Proposed utilities are those awaiting approval when the
						comprehensive plan is adopted.
(b)
						In consultation with serving utilities, counties and cities should prepare an
						analysis of the capacity needs for various utilities over the planning period,
						to serve the growth anticipated at the locations and densities proposed within
						the jurisdiction's planning area. The capacity needs analysis should include
						consideration of comprehensive utility plans, least-cost plans, load forecasts,
						and other planning efforts.
(c) The
						utility element should identify the general location of utility lines and
						facilities required to furnish anticipated capacity needs for the planning
						period. This should be developed in consultation with serving utilities as a
						part of the process of identifying lands useful for public purposes.
(d) Counties and cities should evaluate
						whether any utilities should be identified and classified as essential public
						facilities, subject in cases of siting difficulty to the separate siting
						process established under the comprehensive plan for such facilities.
(e) Counties and cities should evaluate
						whether any utility facilities within their planning area are subject to
						county-wide planning policies for siting public facilities of a county-wide or
						statewide nature.
(f) Counties and
						cities should include local criteria for siting utilities over the planning
						period, including:
(i) Consideration of
						whether a siting proposal is consistent with the locations and densities for
						growth as designated in the land use element.
(ii) Consideration of any public service
						obligations of the utility involved.
(iii) Evaluation of whether the siting
						decision will adversely affect the ability of the utility to provide service
						throughout its service area.
(iv)
						Balancing of local design considerations against articulated needs for
						system-wide uniformity.
(g) Counties and cities should adopt policies
						that call for:
(i) Joint use of transportation
						rights of way and utility corridors, where possible.
(ii) Timely and effective notification of
						interested utilities about road construction, and of maintenance and upgrades
						of existing roads to facilitate coordination of public and private utility
						trenching activities.
(iii)
						Consideration of utility permit applications simultaneously with the project
						permit application for the project proposal requesting service and, when
						possible, approval of utility permits when the project permit application for
						the project to be served is approved.
(iv) Cooperation and collaboration between
						the county or city and the utility provider to develop vegetation management
						policies and plans for utility corridors.
(A)
						Coordination and cooperation between the county or city and the utility
						provider to educate the public on avoiding preventable utility conflicts
						through choosing proper vegetation (i.e., "Right Tree, Right Place").
(B) Coordination and cooperation between the
						county or city and the utility provider to reduce potential critical areas
						conflicts through the consideration of alternate utility routes, expedited
						vegetation management permitting, coordinated vegetation management activities,
						and/or long-term vegetation management plans.
(h) Adjacent counties and cities should
						coordinate to ensure the consistency of each jurisdiction's utilities element
						and regional utility plan, and to develop a coordinated process for siting
						regional utility facilities in a timely manner.