The county is considering possible code changes affecting cannabis growing operations.
Would apply to parcel sizes, light pollution impacts
Marijuana operations — farms, processors and retail outlets — are permitted outright in Rural 5 and Rural 20 zones, which have minimum lot sizes of 5 and 20 acres; and in agricultural, industrial and rural residential zones.
Farms are prohibited in residential zones (both suburban and agricultural) and in neighborhood use zones. Processing facilities in some zones, including residential and the Methow Review District, require a conditional-use permit.
Existing cannabis operations will be required to comply with stricter fencing, lighting and signage regulations by January 2021, according to the environmental checklist prepared for the proposed changes.
The county administrator has enforcement authority for any marijuana operation determined not to be in compliance with county code.
The proposed amendments follow a moratorium imposed last year on new cannabis businesses. The ban was lifted after a new advisory committee suggested changes to accommodate both the general public and the cannabis industry.
Better guidance
The addition of specific restrictions is intended to guide people to choose appropriate sites for cannabis operations, instead of relying on the conditional-use permit process, according to the environmental checklist.
The checklist also provided some data for the cannabis industry in the county. All cannabis business must be licensed by the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board, which reports 97 licenses issued in Okanogan County.
Based on data from the cannabis industry, 60 of these businesses reported sales in 2017. The county calculated that these 60 businesses occupy some 43 acres and would use more than 48 million gallons of water during the growing season. The county planner speculates that farms may use even more water because the majority of producers are outdoors.
Okanogan County doesn’t have complete numbers for activities and sales (including the number of farms), in part because cannabis businesses weren’t regulated by site-specific permits in the county during the first few years of the legal cannabis industry, according to the checklist.
For more information or a copy of the proposed zoning changes, contact the Okanogan County Planning Department at (509) 422-7160. The public can comment on the proposed changes until Jan. 7 to Rocky King at rking@co.okanoqan.wa.us.
The county’s planning commission will review the proposed changes and public comments and send recommendations to the county commissioners for a public hearing and final decision.
