Dr. Royce Hanson, Chairman
We are pleased that you are having a Growth Policy
Review. We know that some of the County
Executive Candidates said in their campaigns that the Growth Policy should be
reinstated and anticipate that such an initiative will be undertaken by the
Council.
As you probably know, members of The League of Women Voters,
study issues and adopt positions by consensus.
We have supported an Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance since 1973 or
earlier. Our June, 1989 Land-Use
positions include: A policy to control
growth by…making services, such as schools, water supply, sewers, fire and
police protection, transportation and roads available as development
proceeds. (1973, 1982, reaffirmed 1985).
I think that
We wish to reiterate our support for an APFO administered by
a Growth Policy. We also support
ceilings on the amount of development that can be approved if adequate
facilities tests are not met However,
the methods of determining adequate public facilities need to be studied and updated
to be relevant to redevelopment which was not as much of an issue when the
first APFO was developed.
In transportation tests, we would hope that they not only
include numbers of automobile trips but would recommend public transportation
equivalents to the trips. As a result of our past studies, The League of
Women Voters supports a coordinated transportation system, which includes bus
and rapid rail transit and promotes and encourages the use of mass transit and
the reduced air pollution that would result from this promotion. We also support road space being allocated
for high-occupancy vehicles (such as bus, carpools, vanpools, and light rail).
We hope that you find adequate substitutes for the former
Policy Areas, as development in one area not only affects traffic in that area
but it affects traffic on all of our arterials, through all of our policy areas. And, speaking of arterials, as the county
begins redevelopment, is it possible to look for opportunities to increase use
of a grid format for roads in order to limit the pressure on our arterials?
In 1986, the League developed the position that public
facilities should be built using public funds with the recognition that the use
of private funds may sometimes be necessary.
Our position further states “Any use of private funding for public
facilities should be well regulated by the county government.” With this in mind, we have been cautious in
our support of Impact Fees as a way to compensate for growth. Therefore we believe that the impact tax
system needs to be studied, both for amount and adequacy of funds and
oversight.
Thank
you for considering these questions and comments.
Sincerely,
Nancy Soreng, President Aleen
Starkweather, Land Use Chair