Urban growth refers to growth that makes intensive use of land for the location of buildings, structures, and impermeable surfaces to such a degree as to be incompatible with the production of food, other agricultural products, or fiber, or the extraction of mineral resources. When allowed to spread over wide areas, urban growth typically requires urban governmental services. Rural growth over the last twenty (20) years has made many rural residential areas incompatible with the production of food, etc. These areas, however, do not typically require urban governmental services, such as neighborhood parks, sanitary sewer systems, water systems and stormwater systems. Those areas where these urban governmental services are now provided, or are needed, should be considered for designation as urban growth areas.

Establishing urban growth areas is a major step that Clallam County will take in managing growth. Urban growth areas must include areas and densities sufficient to accommodate the County’s expected growth for the succeeding twenty (20) years. Clallam County population forecasts indicate that an additional 10,000 to 12,000 people in the next twenty (20) years should be planned for. Sufficient areas for growth must be provided within the urban growth areas. However, it is not expected that all growth will occur in urban growth areas. It is not the intent of these policies or the GMA to stop rural growth; it is the intent of these policies to encourage a shift to urban growth where adequate public facilities and services can be provided in a financially feasible manner while conserving resource lands, rural landscapes, and environmental quality.

The Growth Management Act states that growth outside urban growth areas can occur “only if it is not urban in nature.” Furthermore, urban governmental services should not be extended into rural areas. The County-wide Planning Policies state that the “County should designate as urban growth areas those unincorporated areas not in proximity to existing cities, provided that such areas meet the principles established for UGAs and that appropriate service providers are identified to provide the specified urban governmental services.”

In both unincorporated urban growth areas, the reasons for designation as a UGA is assurance that urban residential, commercial, industrial uses would be allowed and urban governmental services can be extended consistent with the vision of those communities and the legal requirements of GMA.

Industrial lands in areas outside of Port Angeles are limited. The unincorporated communities of Diamond Point-Sunshine Acres, Carlsborg, and Clallam Bay-Sekiu offer areas with appropriate services and facilities for light industrial activities. This is also consistent with the economic development goals of the County by encouraging growth in areas experiencing insufficient economic growth.

Public water systems exist in both of the unincorporated UGAs. A public sewer system exists in Clallam Bay-Sekiu. These water systems do not exist only for public health reasons. These water systems exist also for economic development (fire protection for commercial/industrial uses) and to serve urban residential land uses. Section 34 and 35 of ESHB 2929 (RCW 56.08.020 and 57.16.010) also appear to prohibit the extension or location of water and sewer facilities outside UGAs. If GMA prohibits extension of these systems in rural areas, then the vision for extension of these systems within the UGAs and within the financial constraints of the water or sewer purveyor will be thwarted.

Finally, designation of unincorporated UGAs recognizes existing land use rights of private property owners, and keeps the County from arbitrary and discriminatory actions inconsistent with the Act and this Plan. The fact that an area has not been incorporated should not give rise to the conclusion that it should not be designated as a UGA. Cities and towns throughout Washington State have become incorporated for many reasons: frustration with service delivery, land uses, etc. Cities are not necessarily a reflection of urban land use, but a choice in local governance. The incorporation of Bainbridge Island is a case in point. That community did not incorporate because it wanted urban development; it incorporated because of frustration with decisions of County government. There are numerous cities within the State with populations less than 1,000 people and which do not have the full array of urban governmental services that the GMA indicates are appropriate in UGAs. But by default, these areas have been designated as a UGA under the Act simply because at some point in the past the voters within that area incorporated. With all five (5) unincorporated urban growth areas in this Plan, they meet the same basic land use and population characteristics that many cities face in Washington State. To arbitrarily rule that they should not be UGAs simply because they are not presently incorporated would ignore the fact that they are (a) characterized by urban growth; (b) have urban governmental services; (c) provide economic development opportunities for the citizens of the County; and (d) are consistent with plan and zoning designations made over ten (10) years ago for their private property.