Updated Through December 7, 2024

Established:  February 2006

Membership

Chair: Peter Rimbos
Vice-Chair: Luke Hansen
Members: Hendrick Haynes, Steve Hiester, Warren Iverson
Associate Members: Michael Brathovde, Donna Brathovde, and Ellie Hooman

Mission

Seek to ensure the State Growth Management Act and all plans derived therefrom preserve the quality of life of Rural Area residents by monitoring potential code, policy, and land-use changes while engaging with policymakers.

Current Task Status

The Committee currently is working a variety of issues. For current please status see: Growth Management Committee Task Status–December 2024

Visit our Major Issues section to learn more about the following projects the GMVUAC, through the Growth Management Committee, is working on with and for Rural Area residents:

Asphalt Plant         Asphalt Facility
Reserve Silica        Reserve Silica; On April 17, 2023, and April 30, 2023, respectively, the Committee sent the following letters to the King County Department of Local Services, Permitting Division: Questions–Part 1 and Questions–Part 2.

Committee Meetings

The Committee holds in-person meetings from time to time. On January 26, 2023, such a meeting was held. Here are the Minutes from the meeting.

Major Activities

King County Comprehensive Plan [Please see the KCCP page, accessed through the top-level menu above, for more details and schedules.]

The Committee is the Area Council’s lead on all King County Comprehensive Plan (KCCP) efforts, including all Major Updates (every 10 years when the entire document is reviewed and subject to change, with the next update in 2024), Mid-Point Reviews (every 5 years, with the last such review conducted in 2020), and Annual Changes through the Docket Process. Please see the KCCP page (accessed through the top-level menu above) for more details and schedules.

On January 11, 2022, King County kicked off Scoping efforts for the 2024 KCCP 10-Year Major Update. Once again, the GMVUAC is leading a Joint Team of Rural Area councils, associations, and organizations in review and comment for all aspects of the Update–for all details, please see the 2024 KCCP Update link in the “Major Issues” box on the Home page.process.

On June 8, 2020 a GMVUAC-led team of Rural Area organizations (EPCA, FoSV, GV/LHA, HHA, SCAR, and UBCUAC) submitted Detailed Comments to the King County Council on the “Striking Amendment.” Also, on June 8, 2020, the KCCP SEPA Responsible Official issued a Determination of Significance accompanied by a SEPA Addendum. On June 26, 2020 the GMVUAC-led team submitted an ADDENDUM to its June 8, 2020, submittal to account for additional proposed King County Council Amendments and the partial SEPA review. On July 6, 2020 the KCCP SEPA Responsible Official issued a an Updated SEPA Addendum. On July 13, 2020 the GMVUAC-led team submitted a Revision to ADDENDUM to its June 26, 2020, submittal related to the King County Council proposed “Striker 3” Amendments and full SEPA review. On July 20, 2020 the GMVUAC-led team submitted a Response to S4 Amendments to its July 13, 2020, submittal related to the King County Council proposed “Striker 4” Amendments. On July 23, 2020 yhe GMVUAC-led team submitted a Response to S4.1 Amendments to its July 20, 2020, submittal related to the King County Council proposed “Striker 4.1” Amendments. On July 24, 2020, the King County Council finalized and voted to approve the 2020 KCCP Mid-Point Update.

On February 15, 2019, the GMVUAC along with four other Rural Area organizations (EPCA, GV/LHA, HHA, and UBCUAC) submitted a joint set of comments to the King County Council on the Executive’s Scoping Document: UACs/UAAs Joint Comment Letter on Scoping. On July 31, 2019, the GMVUAC, again, with four other Rural Area organizations submitted a joint set of comments to King County Council on the Executive’s Public Review Draft (PRD): UACs/UAAs Joint Comment Letter on PRD.

The Committee spearheaded the Area Council effort to work with other unincorporated area councils and associations to prepare and submit detailed comments to King County on proposed Ordinance 2018-0153 Comprehensive Planning and Subarea Planning Restructure to extend the timing between major KCCP updates and modify the Subarea Plan cycles. See Area Council correspondence (KCCP Process Changes–Cover Letter (08 30 2018) and KCCP Process Changes–Comments (08 30 2018)). On October 29, 2018, the King County Council approved the annual update to the King County Comprehensive Plan Update.  The approved Update addressed many of the concerns expressed by the Area Council and other unincorporated area councils and associations, For more detailed information, please click on the following link: 2018 KC Comprehensive Plan Update

During annual KCCP updates a Docket Item process is used whereby “minor” changes can be proposed. The committee prepared and the full Area Council approved and submitted a set of comments on a 2018 Docket Item request to rezone to Industrial land along SR-169 and the Cedar River not far from Cedar Grove Rd: D.I. #4 Comments This Docket Item (now labeled #3) was rejected by King County in its December 2018 Docket Report citing some of the rationale the Area Council used in its recommendation to reject it.

King County Countywide Planning Policies [For more details, please see the 2021 CPP Update link in the “Major Issues” box on the Home page.]

The Committee was the Area Council’s lead on the King County Countywide Planning Policies (CPPs), which serve as the framework for all jurisdictional Comprehensive Planning.

The KC Growth Management Planning Council (GMPC) reviewed the 2012 CPPs (as amended in 2016) CPPs in order to update them in 2021. There were multiple Public Comment opportunities the Area Council coordinated with other King County Rural Area Unincorporated Area Councils (UACs) and Associations (UAAs)—Enumclaw Plateau Community Association (EPCA), Green River Coalition (GRC), Green Valley/Lake Holm Association (GV/LHA), Hollywood Hill Association (HHA), Soos Creek Area Response (SCAR), and Upper Bear Creek Unincorporated Area Council (UBCUAC). The GMPC completed its work and submitted its proposed CPP revisions to the King County Council for review and approval. That approval took place on December 14, 2021. After all King County cities give their final approvals, the 2021 CPP Update will be submitted to the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) in the first half of 2022.

PSRC VISION 2050 [For more details, please see the PSRC VISION 2050 link in the “Major Issues” box on the Home page.]

The Committee is the Area Council’s lead on all Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) VISION plans.

In the Fall of 2019 the GMVUAC led a team of King County Rural Area Unincorporated Area Councils (UACs) and Associations (UAAs)—Enumclaw Plateau Community Association (EPCA), Green Valley/Lake Holm Association (GV/LHA), Hollywood Hill Association (HHA), and Upper Bear Creek Unincorporated Area Council (UBCUAC)—in conducting an in-depth review of the PSRC’s draft VISION 2050 Draft Plan. On July 19, 2019, PSRC released its Draft VISION 2050 Plan with a 60-day Public Comment period through September 17, 2019. Detailed Public Comments (UACs/UAAs Joint Comment Letter on PSRC’s VISION 2050 Draft Plan) were prepared on the PSRC’s VISION 2050 Draft Plan and were submitted on September 16, 2019.

In the Spring of 2019 the GMVUAC led a team of King County Rural Area UACs and UAAs in conducting an in-depth review of the draft VISION 2050 Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS). Detailed Public Comments (UACs/UAAs Joint Comment Letter on PSRC’s draft VISION 2050 SEIS) were prepared on the PSRC’s VISION 2050 SEIS that were submitted on April 29, 2019.

Other Activities

The Committee has led the following efforts for the Area Council:

• Onsite Septic Systems (OSS) code revisions Seattle-King County Public Health presentation (2024)
• Joint Team Comment Letter on Proposed Ordinance on Code Enforcement Reform (2024)
• Glamping & RV Park Permit Application Comments (2023)
• Location of Search & Rescue Facilities–DNS Comments (2021)
• Ravensdale Property Up-Zone Request Comments (2020)
• Adult Beverage Ordinance – Combined Rural Area UAC/Association Written Testimony (2019)
• Adult Beverage Ordinance – Combined Rural Area UAC/Association Cover Letter (2018)
• Adult Beverage Ordinance – Combined Rural Area UAC/Association Comments (2018)
• PSRC VISION 2050 (2018)
• King County Sammamish Valley Wine & Beverage Study (2017)
• Reserve Silica Land Segregation, Rezone, & Water Banking Applications (2017)
• Asphalt Facility (2017)
• King County Comprehensive Plan Updates (2016, 2012, 2008, & 2004)
• Marijuana Growing and Processing Operations (2016 & 2015)
• Isolated Industrial Zones in Rural Area (2014)
• Urban-Serving Facilities in Rural Area (2014 & 2013)
• Covington Master-Planned Development (2014 & 2013)
• Enumclaw-Tahoma School Districts Boundary (2013)
• School Siting Legislation (2012)
• Pacific Raceways (2012 & 2011)
• Black Diamond Master-Planned Developments (2011-1, 2011-2, 2011-3, & 2010)
• King County Code Amendments (2010)

For more information on any of these efforts, please visit the Letters page under the Correspondence tab.

External Links

(see also GMVUAC King County and Links webpages: Links to key agency sites, planning documents, and reports of interest.)

King County (KC):
KC Department of Local Services–Permitting Division
KC Comprehensive Plan (KCCP)
KC Code
Countywide Planning Policies
Growth Management Planning Council (GMPC)

Regional:
Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC)
VISION 2050

State:
WA Department of Commerce (DOC) [Comprehensive Planning Guidelines]
Growth Management Act (GMA)–RCW 36.70A