Bill > SB5820

This bill amends existing state law to require certain counties to include a "freight rail dependent use overlay" as part of the transportation element of their comprehensive plans, which are long-term planning documents for land use and development. Specifically, it removes a previous provision that allowed only very specific, large counties west of the Cascade mountains bordering another state to adopt regulations for freight rail dependent uses on land adjacent to short line railroads. The bill now allows any county that borders both the Cascade mountains and another country and has a population of less than fifty thousand people, along with any city within such a county, to adopt development regulations for freight rail dependent uses on lands adjacent to short line railroads. This change aims to broaden the types of counties that can consider and plan for development that relies on freight rail infrastructure.