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Washington was 1st state to adopt such a lenient law for developers; now, sprawl dots the state

Washington was the first state in the country to adopt what has become the benchmark for leniency in laws allowing developers to lock in building rights early in the development process. Under Washington case law and statutes, changes that tighten land-use regulations do not apply once a developer has submitted a preliminary plan sketching out how he or she intends to develop a piece of property. In most states, a developer doesn’t get a break from stricter rules until construction starts.

Years can go by before construction starts, but the old rules will still apply. This "vesting" doctrine in Washington has played out for years in ways critics contend are overrunning the countryside with subdivisions and asphalt.

Here are some examples of how the concept translates into a controversial reality in counties with sizeable populations:

By Robert McClure, InvestigateWest
Crosscut.com

Full Story: http://seattlepostglobe.org/2011/01/14/wa-was-1st-state-to-adopt-such-a-lenient-law-for-developers-now-sprawl-dots-the-state

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