Marysville, WA Right to Farm: Agricultural Zoning Protection (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.
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?
How big does my property need to be to register?
Can I sell produce from a roadside stand on my small farm?
What happens if a subdivision is built next to my registered farm?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Marysville
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Agricultural Zoning Protection in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Snohomish County handle agricultural zoning protection.