Drafter
Clerk 10/21/2003
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AN ORDINANCE related to zoning, establishing additional provisions for wineries in rural and agricultural zones, and amending development conditions governing food stores and agricultural product sales; and amending provisions related to temporary use permits for wineries in the A and RA zones; and amending Ordinance 10870, Section 334, as amended, and K.C.C. 21A.08.070, Ordinance 10870, Section 335, as amended, and K.C.C. 21A.08.080 and Ordinance 10870, Section 549, as amended, and K.C.C. 21A.32.120.
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PREAMBLE:
The Washington state wine industry is an important contributor to the state's economy. Its full economic impact is estimated at $2.4 billion, and it employs more than eleven thousand people throughout the state, either directly or indirectly.
There are over two hundred forty wineries in Washington, most of which are located in rural and agricultural communities, where they provide jobs, promote agri-tourism and enhance rural character.
King County's development regulations currently limit the size and scope of wineries in rural and agricultural zones, and require all wine to be made from agricultural products grown on-site. Since the vast majority of wine fruit is grown in eastern Washington, these regulations severely limit the art and business of winemaking in unincorporated King County. Most other counties in western Washington allow small and medium scale wineries to operate without such limitations.
Expanding these regulations by increasing the size limit for winemaking facilities and by allowing wine to be made from grapes grown elsewhere will provide an economic stimulus to King County's resource-based communities. Local farms, small merchants, restaurants and bed and breakfast inns will also benefit from these expanded uses.
Creating favorable conditions for the production of handcrafted, local wines will promote winemaking as part of a diverse, regional and sustainable economy.
BE IT ORDAINED...

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