(1) GMA Goals. Encourage development in urban areas where adequate public facilities and services exist or can be provided in an efficient manner.

Encourage the availability of affordable housing to all economic segments of the population of this State, promote a variety of residential densities and housing types, and encourage preservation of existing housing stock.

Encourage economic development throughout the State that is consistent with adopted comprehensive plans, promote economic opportunity for all citizens of this State, especially for unemployed and for disadvantaged persons, and encourage growth in areas experiencing insufficient economic growth, all within the capacities of the State’s natural resources, public services, and public facilities.

Private property shall not be taken for public use without just compensation having been made. The property rights of landowners shall be protected from arbitrary and discriminatory actions.

Identify and encourage the preservation of lands, sites, and structures that have historical or archaeological significance.

(2) Definitions. The Growth Management Act defines “urban growth” as development 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 primary use of such land for 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.

The Growth Management Act defines “characterized by urban growth” as referring to land having urban growth located on it, or to land located in relationship to an area with urban growth on it as to be appropriate for urban growth.

The Growth Management Act and County-wide Planning Policies define “urban governmental services” to include those services historically and typically delivered by cities or other identified service providers, such as a utility district, and which at a minimum include the provision for sanitary waste, solid waste disposal systems, water systems, urban roads and pedestrian facilities, public transportation systems, stormwater systems, police and fire and emergency service systems, electrical and communication systems, school and health care facilities, and neighborhood and/or community parks.

(3) Urban Growth Areas. The Growth Management Act requires Clallam County to designate an urban growth area or areas within which urban growth shall be encouraged and outside of which growth can occur only if it is not urban in nature. Each city that is located in the County shall be included within an urban growth area. An urban growth area may include territory that is located outside of a city only if such territory already is characterized by urban growth or is adjacent to territory already characterized by urban growth.

Based upon the growth management planning population projection made for the County by the Washington State Office of Financial Management (see County-wide Plan for population projections and allocations), the urban growth areas shall include areas and densities sufficient to permit the urban growth that is projected to occur in the succeeding 20-year period.

Each urban growth area shall permit urban densities and shall include greenbelt and open space areas.

Urban growth should be located first in areas already characterized by urban growth (see definition) that have existing public facility and service capacities to serve such development, and second in areas already characterized by urban growth that will be served by a combination of both existing public facilities and services and any additional needed public facilities and services that are provided by either public or private sources. Further, it is appropriate that urban government services be provided by cities, and urban government services should not be provided in rural areas.

(4) Why UGAs? 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.

There are several areas within the Sequim-Dungeness Regional Planning area that are “urban in nature,” “characterized by urban growth,” and have “urban governmental services.” At Sunland: are the urban residential development, sewer and water systems urban in nature? At Diamond Point-Sunshine Acres: is the urban residential, commercial and industrial development urban in nature?

Failure to designate an area for urban growth means growth that is “urban in nature” will not be allowed and extension of urban governmental services might not be allowed. Designation of urban growth areas is one of several “tools” in the Growth Management tool box. It is a tool by which the County can say no to further development outside the UGA boundary and yes to planning and providing urban services and facilities within the UGA boundary.

(5) UGA Objectives. The Clallam County Comprehensive Plan works toward conserving rural and resource lands, and making most efficient use of scarce public resources through encouraging development within urban growth areas.

With higher densities, it is possible to provide more efficient transportation, fire and police, water, sewage disposal, and other public services. Public transit studies point out that public transportation systems are not cost-effective until densities of seven dwellings per acre are achieved. It is important that when urban areas are set aside, urban densities and services get established. Continuing to allow rural densities and rural services within urban areas will not achieve UGA or GMA objectives.

Encouraging urban growth also helps protect rural and resource lands from conversion. When sufficient land within urban areas is provided at a reasonable price and well-designed, there is less demand for rural lands. In the past 20 years, a large portion of the rural growth occurred because the property was less expensive, and affordable housing opportunities (such as manufactured housing) were allowed.

Urban lands are also the area where the region’s primary economic activity takes place: retail, wholesale, professional offices and industry. Commercial and industrial uses often encourage other urban development around it, and increase the need for extension or improvement of public services and facilities. Therefore, those types of commercial and industrial uses should not be allowed outside of urban growth areas.

(6) Battelle. Battelle Memorial Institute’s Sequim Marine Research Operations (MRO), a non-profit research institute and operator of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory for the Department of Energy, is located on approximately 105 acres along the west shore of Sequim Bay generally situated between West Sequim Bay and Washington Harbor Roads. The MRO also owns approximately 35 acres of Sequim Bay tideland areas, including portions of Travis Spit, to support research efforts. The MRO targeted this location in 1965 specifically for access to Sequim Bay, which provides the essential marine resources required for Battelle’s preeminent research activities.

Primary research activities are related to marine and coastal resources, environmental chemistry, water resource modeling, ecotoxicology and biotechnology, and, more recently, national and homeland security. This facility is emerging as a leader in these additional areas: sustainable development of ocean energy and understanding and mitigating long-term impacts of human activities, including climate change, on marine resources.

The marine research operations campus currently supports about 100 staff. Approximately 7.3 acres are developed consisting of eight facilities providing: 6,000 square feet of analytical and general-purpose laboratory space; 5,300 square feet of wet/bioassay laboratory space; 2,000 square feet of electronics and maintenance shop areas; and 38,700 square feet of offices, conference rooms, and support/storage structures.

Battelle’s conceptual plan for expansion of the Sequim MRO campus addresses the need for additional buildings and infrastructure to continue research on local, regional, national, and global marine environmental and coastal issues. The Campus Master Plan identifies potential future expansion of the MRO facility footprint by as much as 180,000 to 240,000 square feet. This additional square footage would be used for new research laboratories, conference/training/learning facilities, and transitory facilities for project-related housing. The ultimate build-out of this campus is expected to add 200 to 300 researchers and staff over a 10- to 20-year timeframe. To accommodate this additional development, it is imperative to receive water and sewer utilities, and other municipal services, from the City of Sequim.

Inclusion of the Battelle property adjacent to the City within the Sequim Urban Growth Area is needed for long-term retention, growth and sustainability of Battelle’s marine-based research operations. Battelle’s growth and sustainability are dependent on urban services. No other viable alternative sites exist in the Sequim UGA that provide the land and water access to support Battelle research activities.