Title
AN ORDINANCE declaring a one-year moratorium on acceptance of applications for new development on isolated industrial zoned parcels; and declaring an emergency.
Body
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. Findings:
A. King County has authority, pursuant to constitutional police powers, home rule authority and the Washington state Growth Management Act, chapter 36.70A RCW ("the GMA"), to establish a moratorium to preclude the acceptance of certain new development applications while the county studies related land use issues.
B. In 1990, the Washington State Legislature adopted the GMA in order to, in part, facilitate the preservation of rural character.
C. Subsequent to the adoption of the GMA, King County updated the King County Comprehensive Plan ("KCCP") in Ordinance 11575 in 1994 and unincorporated area zoning designations in Ordinance 11653 in 1995 in order to be to be compliant with and implement the GMA. Some rural parcels were given an industrial zoning classification in recognition of historic, ongoing uses that were present at the time. A p-suffix condition was placed on many, but not all, of these parcels, precluding a change in use without subsequent county approval.
D. The KCCP, as updated in June 2014 by Ordinance 17842, defines "rural growth" as "...growth that is scaled to be compatible with and maintains the traditional character of the Rural Area."
E. The KCCP states that "new rural industrial development in the Rural Area needs to be of a scale and nature that is distinct from urban industrial development."
F. KCCP policy R-514 identifies regulations for new industrial development in the Rural Area to ensure that industrial growth meets rural character standards. These development regulations include: "f. Industrial uses requiring substantial investments in infrastructure such as water, sewers or transportation facilities shall be scaled to avoid the need for public funding of the infrastruc...

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