Public Hearing on Code Changes for Urban Agriculture in Seattle

There will be a public hearing on code changes for urban agriculture in 

Seattle next Wednesday, July 21 at 5:30pm.

Regional Development and Sustainability Committee 

Seattle City Hall, 600 4th Avenue
Council Chambers, 2nd Floor

Seattle, WA

View the agenda and more information here.

The Department of Planning and Development's description of 

Urban Agriculture 

(source: City of Seattle):

Urban agriculture is a type of infill development that fits into growth strategy for Seattle and the region, by adding a missing element of livable communities and stimulating small-scale economic development.  There is a tremendous opportunity to develop local sources of healthy food by turning existing lawn and garden space into productive agricultural plots.  Small-scale urban agriculture can help create livable, walkable and sustainable communities, and implement City goals of sustainability and economic development. 

Specifically, the Department of Planning and Development (DPD) is proposing the following code changes to support and encourage urban agriculture:

1. Add and/or clarify definitions for the following key terms: horticulture, aquaculture, animal husbandry, community gardens (including P-Patch community gardens), and urban farms.   These refined definitions have additional recommendations (below) for regulation by zone.   
2. Allow community gardens as permitted uses in all zones, with some limitations in industrial zones.
3. Allow urban farms in all zones as follows:
   
   Commercial:   Allow urban farms as a principal or accessory use.  Horticulture uses are currently limited to 10,000 sq. ft. in NC1 zones and 25,000 sq. ft. in NC2 zones; there are no size of use restrictions in NC3 or C zones. 
   
   Industrial: Allow urban farms as an accessory or principal use on land outside of designated MICs, and on tops and sides of buildings in all industrial zones.  Currently, horticulture uses are not allowed in industrial zones, and DPD proposes no change to this provision as based on the new definition of a horticulture use.
   
   Residential: Allow urban farms as an accessory use without a permit up to 4,000 sq. ft. of planting area. Urban Farms with more than 4,000 sq. ft. of planting area would be subject to an administrative conditional use permit process.  Currently, agriculture uses are not allowed in residential zones.
    
4. Allow rooftop greenhouses a 15 foot exception to height limits as a rooftop feature, if the greenhouse is dedicated to food production in MF/C/I/SM/Downtown zones.  
5. Add farmers markets to the definition of multipurpose uses. 
6. Increase the number of chickens allowed on residential property from three to eight. DPD also proposes to add that roosters are not allowed in any zone.

The Importance of a Feasibility Study

When purchasing property to develop or build on, it's important to know the legal parameters of the property. This also applies to adding on to an existing structure. Some of these are not readily available without a deeper look into the city or county code. This is also known as a code or zoning review. We regularly provide these services at the beginning of each project. Some things to look for when considering a property:

• Setback Lines: how far back from the property line can you build on the front, rear and sides?
• Are there limits on impervious surface? What controls are required for the amount of impervious surface you would like to add?
• Height limits: how high can you build, and how is the height determined? Are there any incentives that allow for extra height (for example, a steeper roof pitch)?
• Is your property located in any overlay zones that may affect your development, like a Historic zone?
  
• Are you in a zone that will require more extensive review or more restrictive setbacks, such as an environmentally critical zone or shoreline? Is there a wetland on your property, or a bald eagle's nest nearby?
  
• Can you include a guest house or accessory dwelling unit (ADU) on your property? With the call for greater density and more options for smaller and affordable housing, cities are continually updating their codes to keep pace with the public sentiment. An ADU or guest area can provide flexibility and income generation through rental, if the jurisdiction allows.
  
• Are there restrictions on the size or style of building? For example, some home owners associations require minimum areas (to maintain values in a neighborhood), certain materials, or layout restrictions (such as whether or not the garage door can face the street).

Don't make assumptions about what you can do on a property based on what you see on neighboring properties. Zoning restrictions change over time and new development may be subject to more restrictive regulations than existing development, even though they are in the same zone or even next door to each other. Considering these factors along with considering the price and location of a property will eliminate unwelcome surprises down the line.