Our Voice: School siting bill fixes immediate need

Thanks to a compromise bill recently signed by Gov. Jay Inslee, communities finally will have the much-needed flexibility to build new schools outside urban growth areas when there is no other option.

It is a relief lawmakers and the governor were able to work out their differences before the extended legislative session ended.

In April, Inslee caught many people by surprise when he vetoed part of a bill that would have allowed school districts to build outside designated urban growth boundaries.

The original legislation, House Bill 1017, had broad support in the House and the Senate. However, Inslee is adamant about curbing urban sprawl and he didn’t think the language went far enough to protect against that.

When he explained his partial veto, Inslee said he wanted more limitations on the size of the pipes going to new schools to prevent new housing developments from being built nearby and tapping into water and sewer lines.

In the end, the compromise bill is not that prescriptive. Jan Himebaugh, a spokeswoman with the Builders Industry Association of Washington, said House Bill 2243 is very similar to the original bill that Inslee vetoed, and that the size of the pipes will be worked out with the builders and local community — an issue that had been a sticking point for those in the construction industry.

The legislation says that utilities extended to serve a new school outside the urban growth area must serve only the new school, and that the costs of the extension are born by the school district.

In addition, the compromise bill requires that by Dec. 1, 2023, a report be provided to the governor listing schools outside of urban growth areas that have been built, are under construction, or are planned.

That same report also must include a cost analysis of schools built outside of urban growth boundaries.

At the time of his veto, we said that if school districts could build within urban growth areas, they would. School construction is different than private development, and should be treated as such.

The Growth Management Act of 1990 limits where new buildings and infrastructure can occur. The law was designed to rein in explosive construction going on around the state, and has helped protect against uncontrolled development.

Those of us living in Eastern Washington like the rural lifestyle, so we believe in protecting our open spaces. But there has to be a balance.

Our communities are growing and schools — in the Tri-Cities and elsewhere — are overcrowded. At some schools, playground space is taken over by a sea of portable classrooms.

When school officials want to build a new school, they often can’t find a suitable location within the urban growth area.

High schools, for example, require 50 to 60 acres and city services, unlike smaller elementary schools that can get by on a well and septic system.

The governor told the Tri-City Herald Editorial Board in June that he understands the challenges facing the school districts and wants to help them.

But schools should be the only exception to the Growth Management Act, he said.

All those involved — the governor, lawmakers and school officials — appear happy with the compromise bill that was finally approved.

Lawmakers and the governor did a good job getting the deal done this year. It will make a huge difference to school districts all around the state.

This story was originally published July 12, 2017 at 4:37 PM with the headline "Our Voice: School siting bill fixes immediate need."