Auburn, WA Right to Farm: Agricultural Zoning Protection (2026)

' An agricultural enterprise business needs a minimum 10-acre parcel and direct access to a minor arterial or higher-classification street. An administrative use permit covers a site where at least 50 percent of the land stays in active agricultural production during the growing season and hosts 52 or fewer special events a year; drop below that farming threshold, or plan more than 52 events, and the applicant needs a conditional use permit instead. Development standards layered onto the base RC zone cap nonresidential buildings (other than greenhouses) at 5,000 square feet, cap total lot coverage at 15 percent and impervious area at 25 percent, and set setbacks of 35 feet in front, 20 feet at the rear, 20 feet on interior side lines and 35 feet on street sides.

Building height tops out at 35 feet, though a project can go taller by adding a foot of setback for every foot of extra height. Permitted uses run from farm stands and greenhouses to wineries and tasting rooms, education facilities tied to agricultural production, and up to 52 special events like weddings, receptions and concerts held inside an enclosed building; anything larger needs the conditional use track. 5 foot-candle, and a 10-foot Type III landscape buffer must separate buildings from the property line. Every operator remains on the hook for other permits, including county health department food or animal-care licenses layered on top of the city's land use approval.