Photos courtesy of the House of Representatives / LSS.
OLYMPIA—A new law by Rep. Davina Duerr (D-Bothell) helps protect Washington state from the worst kind of growth: suburban sprawl.
“This law closes a loophole that let local governments avoid compliance in certain situations,” Duerr said of House Bill 1135, which passed the House 56-40 and the Senate 30-19. “Closing this loophole will save taxpayers money and time by avoiding lawsuits. The law also helps communities get into compliance.”
The state’s growth management laws and the planning process are necessary, said Davina, a professional architect, because unplanned growth tends to turn into sprawl.
“You know what sprawl is, because you see it—strip malls and subdevelopments far from services and infrastructure. It’s cheap for developers, but costly to taxpayers and families, because we have to build new roads, fire stations, schools, and police stations to service the new development. Sprawl also means people are driving further to get to work and school, clogging up our roads and highways.”
Smart planning is smarter and cheaper because it brings new housing and businesses close to existing services and infrastructure.
“People want shorter commutes, not longer ones,” Duerr said. “They want more options to get around like trains, biking, and walking. And planned growth means we can build real communities with shops and services within walking distance. Sprawl often has one-acre lots with no sidewalks. People can’t safely walk with their kids and dogs. It’s not a smart or friendly way to build, and that’s why we have our state’s growth management laws.”
Duerr has four other bills that passed the House and are being voted on in the Senate.
The 2025 session ends on April 27.
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