A county required or choosing to plan under RCW 36.70A.040 may establish, in consultation with cities consistent with provisions of RCW 36.70A.210, a process for reviewing and approving proposals to authorize siting of specific major industrial developments outside urban growth areas.
(1) "Major industrial development" means a master planned location for a specific manufacturing, industrial, or commercial business that: (a) Requires a parcel of land so large that no suitable parcels are available within an urban growth area; or (b) is a natural resource-based industry requiring a location near agricultural land, forestland, or mineral resource land upon which it is dependent. The major industrial development shall not be for the purpose of retail commercial development or multitenant office parks.(2) A major industrial development may be approved outside an urban growth area in a county planning under this chapter if criteria including, but not limited to the following, are met: (a) New infrastructure is provided for and/or applicable impact fees are paid;(b) Transit-oriented site planning and traffic demand management programs are implemented;(c) Buffers are provided between the major industrial development and adjacent nonurban areas;(d) Environmental protection including air and water quality has been addressed and provided for;(e) Development regulations are established to ensure that urban growth will not occur in adjacent nonurban areas;(f) Provision is made to mitigate adverse impacts on designated agricultural lands, forestlands, and mineral resource lands;(g) The plan for the major industrial development is consistent with the county's development regulations established for protection of critical areas; and(h) An inventory of developable land has been conducted and the county has determined and entered findings that land suitable to site the major industrial development is unavailable within the urban growth area. Priority shall be given to applications for sites that are adjacent to or in close proximity to the urban growth area.(3) Final approval of an application for a major industrial development shall be considered an adopted amendment to the comprehensive plan adopted pursuant to RCW 36.70A.070 designating the major industrial development site on the land use map as an urban growth area. Final approval of an application for a major industrial development shall not be considered an amendment to the comprehensive plan for the purposes of RCW 36.70A.130(2) and may be considered at any time.