Washington's Way II: The Burden of Enforcing Growth Management in the Crucible of the Courts and Hearings Boards

This Article continues the analysis and discussion of the conflicts and problems that beset a dispersed and decentralized growth management control system, as discussed in Washington's Way: Dispersed Enforcement of Growth Management Controls and the Crucial Role of NGOs. That article explained how Washington politicians, in an effort to combat urban sprawl, created a dispersed, "bottom-up" approach to growth management by enacting the Washington Growth Management Act (GMA). The enforcement mechanism provided under the GMA, however, was not mandated to a single government entity; rather, it was left to citizens and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) acting at the local level. In order to ensure local legislative actions comply with the GMA, private citizens and NGOs must petition one of three quadjudicative agencies known as growth management hearings boards.