Agritourism hearing set for Monday, June 24

Another hearing has been scheduled in the ongoing discussion of how to permit agritourism in Skagit County.

On June 24 at 2:30 p.m. the Skagit County Commissioners will discuss a resolution that will send back to the county planning commission the agritourism proposal the commission recommended to them in December for further study and evaluation by the planning commission.

A county press release said that the remand resolution is in response to feedback the commissioners have received from local business and farm owners, community comments and code enforcement staff. The resolution includes specific direction from the commissioners to the planning commission to guide additional study and consideration.

A pending ruling by the Washington state Supreme Court, which is considering the matter of King County v. Friends of Sammamish Valley, is another concern. In 2022 King County passed an ordinance clarifying where wineries, breweries, distillers and especially taprooms could set up in unincorporated areas. Like agritourism in Skagit County, this was a controversial issue in places like Woodinville, worried about further urban development. Researching, drafting and passing the ordinance took years. King County passed a moratorium on new tasting rooms until code could be clarified, a move that Skagit County emulated in January.

A court decision could significantly influence commercial uses on lands zoned for agriculture, which in turn may impact the county’s permanent ordinance under consideration.

Source: Skagit County government