King County is considering zoning code changes that would significantly increase the allowable size and scope of industrial and retail business activities in our rural neighborhoods and on farmlands.

The proposals are referred to as the “2006 Rural Economic Strategies” (RES). While the RES’s initial intent of loosening restrictions on small home-based enterprises is commendable, several of the proposed changes go well beyond this reasonable goal and are likely to allow large scale commercial development across rural King County.

For starters, the RES would remove requirements that new industrial and retail uses demonstrate their compatibility with existing neighborhoods and infrastructure by deleting the requirement for such proposals to follow the Conditional Use Permit process.

This action constitutes a serious assault on citizens’ ability to defend their property rights from infringement by activities that degrade private property and communities.

The RES goes on to remove limits on nuisance activities, such as noise and activities that “cause visual or audible interference with radios, TVs or electronic equipment off-site.” It removes most restrictions on the number of employees a home-based business can have. And one amendment would allow unlimited vehicle storage on rural lots. The RES proposal creates a loophole allowing unlimited square footage if commercial facilities are located in structures more than five years old. It is so vague that this could apply to everything from backyard garages to greenhouse complexes. And the time requirement is rolling, which means that someone might build a structure, call it a barn, wait five years and convert it into a factory, legal under this new code.

You can view the full text of these and other proposed RES changes at: http://www.metrokc.gov/exec/bred/business/Projects/Rural.htm.

We were led to believe that the study period for the RES would extend through the end of this year and that there would be opportunities for citizen inputs. Instead, there seems to be an attempt to rush this to the county council for a vote.

If you wish to comment, the primary King County contact is Julia Larson - coordinator, Rural Economic Strategies. You can e-mail her at: julia.larson@metrokc.gov.

Our council members contact info can be found at: http://www.metrokc.gov/mkcc/.