The purpose of this chapter, providing for the establishment
of agricultural zones, is to implement the goals, policies and objectives
of the comprehensive plan and the Growth Management Act for the preservation
of commercially viable prime agricultural land. The following provisions
shall apply:
A.
The
A zone areas are intended primarily for farming activities and accessory
and agricultural support uses normally associated with a farming operation
and animal husbandry including related value added operations intended
to support existing farms and ranches and the viability of the local
farm economy.
B.
Agricultural
uses and prime commercial farm ground shall be protected from encroachment
by nonagricultural uses, such as industrial, commercial, and residential
uses, not associated with agricultural activities or support uses,
except as may be permitted in this code to promote the economic health
of the farming economy and the community including uses best located
away from more intense development, intended to serve public recreational
and traveling needs as well as destination resorts and fully contained
communities and other intense land uses allowed by the Growth Management
Act outside of designated urban growth areas while protecting against
the significant or unnecessary loss of prime agricultural ground.
C.
Assure
that those portions of the county containing prime agricultural soils
will be preserved for agricultural enterprises.
D.
Promote
the development of agricultural economy support services and expansion
as well as diversification opportunities including value added and
agri-tourism.
E.
It
is not intended to allow the development of urban uses best located
in urban growth areas.
F.
The
A-1 zone does allow for the development of permanent single-family
residences with a limited density that support agricultural or other
permitted uses or are compatible with agricultural and other permitted
uses in the zone.
|
Subject
|
Zone District
| ||
|---|---|---|---|
|
A-1
|
A-2
|
A-3
| |
|
Maximum building height
|
35 feet
| ||
|
Minimum parcel size
|
40 acres (See Note 1)
|
5 acres
|
10 acres
|
|
Setbacks
|
See Note 2
| ||
|
Front
| |||
|
County road
|
15 feet + 1/2 ROW from centerline
| ||
|
State highway
|
Outside WSDOT safety zone or 10 feet from ROW, whichever is
greater
| ||
|
Private road
|
10 feet from ROW
| ||
|
Side
|
10 feet
| ||
|
Rear
|
10 feet
| ||
|
Minimum road frontage or lot width
|
330 feet
|
330 feet
|
330 feet
|
|
Signage
|
2 signs, 32 square feet each
| ||
|
Notes:
| ||
|---|---|---|
|
1. The above-mentioned minimum lot size and dimension shall
not apply if the subdivision is for the following; however, the density
requirement shall be applied to all residential development either
through maintenance of a 40-acre minimum lot size or deed restrictions
limiting future residential development on the remainder parent parcel(s):
| ||
|
a. Where located in a PUD; created for an essential public facility
or created in conjunction with an agricultural support use such as
but not limited to grain elevators or crop transportation facility;
a communications facility; a single-lot multiple-unit migrant worker
housing development; a veterinary clinic or animal hospital; abattoir,
quarry or similar allowed or conditional uses.
| ||
|
b. Subdivisions for the creation of single-family residential
lots for abandoned and existing home sites, of not more than five
acres consistent with adopted policies designed to limit the conversion
of productive agricultural land including:
| ||
|
i. The density of the zone must be maintained including through
the use of deed restriction on future residential development and
the parent lot must be 40 acres or greater in size.
| ||
|
ii. The proposed residential lot is within a distinct area of
one-half to not more than five acres of land which are of insufficient
size, quality and/or accessibility to be efficiently used for agricultural
production for income. "Distinct" shall mean that the subject area
is substantially bounded by natural or manmade features which buffer
this land from agricultural lands such as wooded areas, steep canyon
walls, railroads, surface waters or public roads.
| ||
|
iii. The subject lot must have immediate access or an established
easement to the proposed lot to an improved county or state road.
"Improved" shall mean graveled surface or better and not detract from
existing access for the parent lot.
| ||
|
iv. The area of the subject lot shall have an adequate minimum
area required by the Columbia County environment health official to
safely accommodate approved water supply and on-site sewage disposal
systems.
| ||
|
v. The subdivision shall leave a maximum amount of commercially
cultivatable land available.
| ||
|
vi. The lot configuration shall not detract from the practicable
use of the parent agricultural lot.
| ||
|
vii. The purpose of the subdivision shall be for preservation
or construction of a permanent owner-occupied or long-term leased,
year-round single-family dwelling unit.
| ||
|
viii. The property owner may request an administrative variance
to create a residential lot in excess of five acres, if it can be
demonstrated that the land involved is clearly not agriculturally
viable, due to terrain, soil type, or other restriction that prevents
the area from being farmed. This variance may be approved by the planning
director as part of the short plat application. The approval shall
be based on specific findings regarding the agricultural viability
of the additional land to be included in the residential lot.
| ||
|
2. Structures housing domestic animals or any use that produces
offensive noise, vibration, smoke, dust, odors, heat or glare shall
maintain 50-foot front, rear and side yard setbacks.
| ||
(Ord. 90-02 § 8; Ord. 95-01 § 8; Ord. 2011-01 § 2(A) (Exh. B); Ord.
2012-02 § 1 (Exh. A); Ord. 2015-02 § 2; Ord. 2017-03 (Exh. E); Ord. 2020-02 § 2 (Exh. G); Ord. 2022-02)