Skagit Wedding Venues Face Uncertainty

As Agritourism Code Amendment Moves Forward

For nearly three years, Skagit County has been looking into how to balance (or rebalance) agricultural production with economic opportunities, economic opportunities that include uses and events like u-pick farms, barn wedding venues, etc. It started with a study in 2020 and its currently materialized into a package of code amendments.

Earlier this summer the County’s Agricultural Advisory Board recommended changes that would add a new definition for agritourism, revise the existing definition for agricultural accessory uses, limit the use of agricultural accessory support buildings to farming activities unless a special use permit is granted, and establish a limit for temporary events at 12 calendar days per year.

The proposed changes have drawn the attention and ire of operators of U-pick operations, farm stands, and wedding venues (side note, I’ve been to a couple really nice weddings and political events in barns), as well as working farms that often rely upon these events as supplemental activities that pay the bills.

Per reporting by the Cascadia Daily News, the proposal could have implications to roughly 88,000 acres of agricultural land in Skagit County.

And the County’s website indicates the code amendments are currently being considered by the Planning Commission with an extended public comment period. And after Planning Commission the amendments would go to the County Board of Commissioners for a final vote.

According to a KIRO news story, at least one of the three County Commissioners, Peter Browning, indicated some proposed changes could be rolled back when the proposal goes to the Board of Commissioners.