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

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Minimum lot size
100,000 sq ft (2.3 acres)
Registration fee
$50.00
Roadside stand cap
300 sq ft, on-site products only
Subdivision buffer
6-ft sight-obscuring fence required
Noise exemption
Exempt from Ch. 6.76 noise code
Appeal window
14 days to hearing examiner
Court appeal window
21 days under LUPA

Summary

Marysville lets landowners register at least 2.3 acres of active agricultural land as a Small Farms Overlay ("-SF") zone. Registered farms get a noise-code exemption for farm machinery and livestock, a nuisance presumption favoring the farm, and a required buffer fence on any new subdivision built next door.

Small farms overlay zones shall be designated on the city zoning map as follows: (1) Designation of a small farms overlay zone shall include policies that prescribe the purposes and location of the overlay; (2) A small farms overlay zone shall be indicated on the zoning map with the suffix "-SF" following the map symbol of the underlying zone or zones; (3) The small farms overlay zone may expand the range of permitted uses and development standards established by this code for any use or underlying zone; and (4) Unless they are specifically modified by the provisions of this chapter, the standard requirements of this code and other city ordinances and regulations govern all development and land uses within the small farms overlay zones.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4922912; v1 updated 2026-06-08; through 06-08-2026).

Full Breakdown

020). 040, an approved overlay is marked on the zoning map with the suffix "-SF" after the base zone symbol, expands the range of permitted uses and standards beyond the base zone, and otherwise leaves the underlying code's requirements in force. 00 registration fee, and (for new farms) a site plan showing structures, setbacks, drainage, fencing, manure disposal and any critical areas. 050 include horticulture, floriculture, viticulture, animal husbandry, seed/hay/silage production, Christmas tree farming, aquaculture, and roadside stands capped at 300 square feet selling only what is grown on-site, with parking for at least three cars set back 20 feet from the right-of-way.

76 MMC; and any new subdivision built adjacent to a registered small farm must install a six-foot sight-obscuring chain-link fence (or an equivalent vegetative buffer or critical-area buffer approved by community development) along the shared line. 100 requires a standard disclosure, recorded with the county auditor, warning buyers and permit applicants within 300 feet of a small farm about likely noise, odors, dust, chemical application and machinery, and states agricultural activities predating the neighboring use are presumed reasonable unless they substantially harm public health and safety.

Violations & Fines

There is no per-incident fine written into this chapter; instead, unregistered land gets none of the overlay's protections, so ordinary noise-code limits (Chapter 6.76 MMC) and standard nuisance rules apply. Denials or overlay decisions go first to the hearing examiner under § 22C.050.110, with a written appeal due within 14 calendar days of the decision; the examiner's ruling is a recommendation to the city council. Court appeals from a final council decision must be filed within 21 days under the Land Use Petition Act, per § 22C.050.130, and filing any appeal stays the applicable time periods under § 22C.050.120.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does registering as a small farm exempt me from Marysville's noise ordinance?
Yes for farm-specific sounds. MMC § 22C.050.070(2) exempts farm machinery and livestock noise on a registered small farm from Chapter 6.76 MMC, the city's general noise code, though the property still has to follow every other applicable standard.
How big does my property need to be to register?
MMC § 22C.050.060(1) sets a 100,000-square-foot (2.3-acre) minimum, unless the tract already existed and was in agricultural use before Ordinance 2131 took effect on June 9, 1992, in which case smaller tracts still qualify.
Can I sell produce from a roadside stand on my small farm?
Yes, up to 300 square feet, but only products grown on the premises under MMC § 22C.050.050(8), and you must provide parking for at least three vehicles set back 20 feet from the street right-of-way.
What happens if a subdivision is built next to my registered farm?
MMC § 22C.050.070(3) requires the new subdivision's developer to install a six-foot sight-obscuring chain-link fence along the shared boundary, unless they show an alternative buffer, like an existing vegetative screen, protects the farm just as well.

Sources & Official References

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