Seattle Considering Urban Agriculture Code Amendments

Urban agriculture can serve as a very effective type of infill development that enhances community livability, while stimulating small-scale economic development.  Fortunately, the city of Seattle agrees and is in the process of adopting a package of code amendments that will support and encourage urban agriculture across the city’s different zoning districts. Just today the Seattle City Council Regional Development and Sustainability Committee met to discuss the merits of the code amendments and move them one step forward to adoption.

Here’s a quick overview of the code amendments being considered, to learn more click here.

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.
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.

Industrial:      Allow urban farms as an accessory or principal use on land outside of designated Manufacturing Industrial Centers, and on tops and sides of buildings in all industrial zones.

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.

4.) Allow rooftop greenhouses a 15 foot exception to height limits as a rooftop feature, if the greenhouse is dedicated to food production in Multifamily, Commercial, Industrial, and 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.

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