February CCAR Advocacy Update

Clark County solicits requests from property owners for site-specific comprehensive plan and zoning amendments.

As part of the 2025 Comprehensive Growth Management Plan update, Clark County Community Planning has been accepting site-specific comprehensive plan and zoning amendment requests. The next phase of the plan update process will be the creation of land use alternatives to be studied as part of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). Site specific requests must be submitted by March 15, 2024, to be included in one of the alternatives to be studied in the DEIS. Site-specific request information and a link to an interactive map showing requests received to date can be viewed here: https://clark.wa.gov/community-planning/2025-update-site-specific-requests

The deadline for submitting site-specific review requests is 5 p.m., Friday, March 15, 2024.

Property owners and other interested parties may continue to submit letters and written comments throughout the periodic comprehensive plan update using the webpage form at: https://clark.wa.gov/community-planning/comp-plan-comments Alternatively, these comments can be submitted by email to comp.plan@clark.wa.gov

Vancouver’s Waterfront Gateway Project

Last Thursday the City of Vancouver hosted an open house to preview the scope and type of development we will see for this project, which will connect the waterfront and downtown. For more information, please reference the City’s website: Waterfront Gateway | Be Heard Vancouver or read the Columbian’s recently released article: Vancouver’s Waterfront Gateway Project ‘creating a place for people to connect year-round’ – The Columbian

Legislative Session Update

Opposition Growing on Real Estate Excise Tax:

Increased Efforts to resist measures that would increase the real estate excise tax (HB 2276 and SB 6191) are growing in Olympia, as the bills are expected to be pushed until the end of the session. The legislation proposes creating a new real estate transfer tax of 1 percent on the portion of the selling price above $3.025 million, while increasing the selling price subject to the real estate excise tax of 1.1 percent from $525,000 to $750,000. If passed, taxes would increase by $32.1M in the first five months of collections and up to $101.5M annually in 2027. While presented as a housing affordability solution, WR and CCAR oppose the measure because it would make affordability worse, especially for apartment renters.

Rent Control Legislation Continues to Move in House:

The House Appropriations Committee approved the rent control legislation (HB 2144) to restrict the frequency of residential rent increases to no more than 5 percent in 12 months. Meanwhile, the Senate version (SB 5961), which caps increases at 15 percent, does not appear likely to move after Sen. Cleveland (D-Vancouver) expressed opposition. Her statement reinforces the negative impacts of limits.

Senate Committee to Vote on 1% Property Tax Limit:

A property tax bill (SB 5770) is scheduled for a committee vote in the Senate Ways and Means Committee February 5. While the bill is expected to be amended, it proposes removing the 1 percent property tax limit previously adopted by voters. The bill’s previous version was estimated to increase local property taxes by $179M annually in 2025.

Rural ADUs:

HB 2126 & SB 6029 are alive and headed to a floor vote. WR and CCAR support this legislation as a way to support housing needs and affordability for rural Washingtonians.

Lot Splitting:

HB 1245 is making great progress through the legislature this session. It has passed through the house and on its way to the Senate’s local government, land use, and tribal affairs committee.