Title
Approval of Development Code Update Recommendations to Support Urban Agriculture
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Move to recommend approval of the proposed amendments to Olympia Municipal Code to allow urban agriculture as a permissible use in additional zoning districts, as well as amendments clarifying household pets not considered under agricultural use.
City Manager Recommendation:
Move to recommend approval of the draft proposed amendments to Olympia Municipal Code to allow urban agriculture as a permissible use in additional zoning districts, as well as amendments clarifying household pets not considered under agricultural use and forward to the full City Council for approval.
Report
Issue:
Whether to recommend approval of the draft proposed amendments to Olympia Municipal Code to allow urban agriculture as a permissible use in additional zoning districts, as well as amendments clarifying household pets not considered under agricultural use and forward to the full City Council for approval.
Staff Contact:
Susan McLaughlin, AICP LEED AP, Director, Community Planning and Economic Development, 360.753.8206
Tim Smith, AICP, Deputy Director, Community Planning and Economic Development, 360.570.3915
Casey Schaufler, Associate Planner, Community Planning & Economic Development, 360.753.8254
Presenter(s):
Casey Schaufler, Associate Planner, Community Planning & Economic Development
Background and Analysis:
In 2020 the Olympia City Council approved a referral to the Land Use and Environment Committee (LUEC) to review the preservation or mitigation of the loss of farmland. To respond to this referral, the Committee approved convening the Olympia Farmland Work Group. The Work Group initially focused on identifying existing agricultural land within Olympia and its urban growth area. Staff from the Thurston Conservation District completed an analysis combining several data sources. It identified parcels totaling approximately 450 acres of act...
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