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Adams County Unincorporated
City Zoning Code

CHAPTER 17

12 AGRICULTURAL DISTRICTS PA-60, PA-40, GA-20

§ 17.12.010 Purpose.

A. 
Prime Agricultural (PA-60). The purpose of the PA-60 designation is to provide land for continued farming activities, conserve agricultural land, and reaffirm agricultural use, activities and operations as the primary use of the zoning district. The zoning district is composed mainly of lands with highly productive soil that is generally suited to crop agriculture, agricultural related industries, livestock maintenance, and is primarily located within existing public irrigation facilities and potential future expansion of the Columbia Basin Irrigation Project.
B. 
Prime Agricultural (PA-40). The purpose of the PA-40 designation is to provide land for continued farming activities, conserve agricultural land, and reaffirm agricultural use, activities and operations as the primary use of the zoning district. The zoning district is composed mainly of lands with highly productive soil that is generally suited to crop agriculture, agricultural related industries, livestock maintenance, and is primarily located outside of the Columbia Basin Irrigation Project.
C. 
General Agricultural (GA-20). The purpose of the GA-20 designation will be applied to lands used primarily for irrigated row crop and orchard production, grain or feed crop production, as well as livestock grazing. This zoning district is primarily located where prime agricultural and other residential, commercial and/or industrial areas have not been identified.
(Ord. O-01-05 § 2 (part); Ord. O-02-25 § 1 (Exh. A))

§ 17.12.020 Development standards.

New lots and structures and additions to structures subject to this section shall comply with the applicable standards for lots as shown in Tables 17.12.020-1 and 17.12.020-2 subject to the provisions of Chapter 17.76.
Table 17.12.020-1 Agricultural Dimensional Standards
Zone District
Use/Activity
Minimum Lot Area (acres)
Minimum Lot Width (feet)
Minimum Lot Depth (feet)
PA-60
All Uses
60
660
None
PA-40
All Uses
40
460
None
GA-20
All Uses
20
200
None
Table 17.12.020-2. Agricultural Setbacks, Lot Coverage and Building Height
Zoning District
Use
Minimum Setbacks1,4
Maximum Lot Coverage
Maximum Building Height (feet)3
Front (feet)2
Side (feet)
Rear (feet)
Street (feet)
Interior (feet)
PA-60
Residential
300
300
300
300
1 per 60
35
 
Accessory
100
100
100
100
N/A
35
PA-40
Residential
150
150
150
150
1 per 40
35
 
Accessory
75
75
75
75
N/A
35
GA-20
Residential
60
60
60
60
1 per 20
35
 
Accessory
60
30
30
30
N/A
35
1.
The minimum required setbacks for residential uses on a legal or legally nonconforming lot of record, as defined under Section 17.04.030, may be reduced by the administrator subject to the following:
 
a.
Adequate proof of a hardship is provided to the administrator; and
 
b.
A reduction shall be kept to the minimum amount needed and shall in no case be less than the minimum setbacks specified above for shop buildings, barns and/or home storage facilities and nonresidential structures.
2.
From public road right-of-way or private road easement.
3.
Residential buildings only.
4.
Special setbacks may apply to all lots neighboring an agricultural district (See Chapter 17.42).
(Ord. O-01-05 § 2 (part). Formerly 17.12.030; Ord. O-01-07 § 5; Ord. O-02-25 § 1 (Exh. A))

§ 17.12.030 Agricultural districts use chart.

The uses set out in Table 17.12.030-1 are examples of uses allowable in agricultural zones. The appropriate review authority is mandatory.
•
“P”—Uses allowed subject to approval of applicable permits.
•
“R/A”—Uses permitted upon administrative review and approval as set forth in Section 17.85.020 or as otherwise noted in this title.
•
“C”—Conditional uses which may be permitted subject to the approval of a conditional use permit as set forth in Section 17.85.030.
•
“X”—Or uses not listed are specifically prohibited.
Where there are special use standards or restrictions for a listed use, the applicable code section(s) in Chapter 17.69, Special Uses and Standards, or other applicable chapter is noted in the “Special Standards” column.
Table 17.12.030-1 Agricultural Districts Use Chart
 
PA-60
PA-40
GA-20
Special Standards
1. Residential.
 
 
 
 
a. Single-family dwellings and accessory buildings
P1
P1
P1
 
b. Accessory dwelling unit (ADU)
P
P
P
17.69.020
c. Accessory buildings
P
P
P
17.69.010
d. Family day care centers
R/A
R/A
R/A
17.69.220
e. Adult family homes (if homeowner occupied)
R/A
R/A
R/A
17.69.230
f. Home business, exempt
P
P
P
17.69.200
g. Home business, minor
P
P
P
17.69.200
h. Home business, major
R/A
R/A
R/A
17.69.200
i. Bed and breakfast establishments (up to two guest bedrooms)
R/A
R/A
R/A
17.69.070
j. Bed and breakfast establishments (three or more guest bedrooms)
C
C
C
17.69.070
k. Caretaker residence
X
X
X
17.69.060
2. Services, business.
 
 
 
 
a. Commercial nurseries predominantly marketing locally produced plants and associated landscaping materials
P
P
P
 
b. Roadside farm stand
P
P
P
17.69.110
c. Agricultural market
P
P
P
17.69.110
d. Commercial kennels on a parcel or parcels five acres or more
R/A
R/A
R/A
17.69.170
e. Hobby kennels
P
P
P
17.69.170
f. Animal boarding and day use facilities
P
P
P
17.69.170
g. Animal hospital, clinic or veterinary, large (livestock and other farm animals, and domestic)
R/A
R/A
R/A
17.69.180
h. Animal hospital, clinic or veterinary, small (domestic pets only)
X
X
X
17.69.180
i. Food trucks in areas associated with existing business or industry
P
P
P
17.69.310
j. Auto towing, secured
X
X
X
 
k. Convenience stores and fuel sales
X
X
X
 
l. Mini Storage
X
X
X
 
3. Services, amusement.
 
 
 
 
a. Public interpretive/ educational uses
P
P
P
 
b. Dispersed recreation and recreational facilities such as primitive campsites, trails, trailheads
P
P
P
 
c. Public recreation accessways, trails, viewpoints, and associated parking
P
P
P
 
d. Private recreation facilities, including retreats, but excluding such intensive uses as campgrounds, country clubs and golf courses
C
C
C
 
e. Country club and golf courses
X
X
X
 
f. Equestrian facility
R/A
R/A
R/A
17.69.150
g. Circuses, carnivals or amusement rides
X
X
X
 
h. Gun range
C
C
C
 
i. Hunting club/lodge
C
C
C
 
j. Recreational vehicle park or tent campground
X
C
C
17.69.250
k. Rodeo grounds
X
X
C
 
4. Services, general.
 
 
 
 
a. Event facilities < five thousand sq. ft.
X
X
X
 
b. Tasting room and event facilities in conjunction with a winery
P
P
P
 
c. Microbrewery/winery
C
C
C
 
d. Parking lots—Trucks
X
X
X
 
e. Accessory special event center, minor
P
P
P
17.69.330
f. Accessory special event center, major
C
C
C
17.69.330
5. Services, membership organization.
 
 
 
 
a. Churches or places of worship
C
C
C
17.69.090
6. Services, educational.
 
 
 
 
a. Public and private elementary and middle schools
X
X
X
 
7. Public service and facilities.
 
 
 
 
a. EMS dispatch facilities
C
C
C
 
b. Government facilities
C2
C2
C2
 
c. Public corrections facilities
X
X
X
 
d. Commercial wind energy facilities
C
C
C
17.70
e. Wireless communication facilities
R/A
R/A
R/A
17.74
f. Solar energy facilities large scale
C
C
C
17.72
g. Solar energy facilities small scale
R/A
R/A
R/A
17.72
8. Resource activities.
 
 
 
 
a. Agricultural
P3
P3
P3
 
b. Mineral exploration for rock, gravel, oil, gas, mineral and geothermal resources
P
P
P
17.69.280
c. Mineral extraction, crushing, screening, etc., in accordance with all applicable local, state and federal regulations
C
C
C
17.69.280
d. Agricultural related industry
P
P
P
 
e. Accessory buildings
P
P
P
17.69.010
f. Farm worker housing for seasonal workers
P
P
P
17.69.050
g. Animal feeding operations (AFOs) and concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO) including dairies, feed yards, sales yards
C
C
C
17.69.120
h. Game fowl raising operations
C
C
C
17.69.140
9. Other.
 
 
 
 
a. Utilities, structures and uses including but not limited to utility substations, pump stations, wells, watershed intake facilities, gas and water transmission lines
P/C
P/C
P/C
 
b. Solid waste handling and disposal sites
C
C
C
17.69.260
c. Private use landing strips and heliports for aircraft
C
C
C
17.69.240
d. New cemeteries and mausoleums, crematoria, columbaria, and mortuaries within cemeteries
X
X
X
 
e. Expansion of existing cemeteries
P
P
P
 
f. Electric vehicle infrastructure
P
P
P
17.60
g. Medical cannabis cooperative
X
X
X
17.60
h. Cannabis production facilities
P
P
P
17.60
i. Cannabis processor 1 facilities
P
P
P
17.60
j. Cannabis processor 2 facilities
C
C
C
17.60
k. Cannabis retailer facilities
X
X
X
17.60
l. Aerospace product and parts manufacturing facilities
C4, 5
C4, 5
C4, 5
17.69.300
1.
One single-family dwelling on legal lot or legal nonconforming lot of record.
2.
Government facilities necessary to serve the unincorporated areas of Adams County, including fire stations, ambulance dispatch facilities and storage yards, warehouses, or similar uses.
3.
Agriculture including: floriculture, horticulture, general farming, dairy, the raising, feeding and sale or production of poultry, livestock, furbearing animals, honeybees, animal sales yards, nursery stock and floral vegetation and other agricultural activities and structures accessory to farming or animal husbandry.
4.
Federal contract required.
5.
Not permitted in agriculture zones with a current Washington State water right or U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) water right for agricultural irrigation use as of the date of the ordinance codified in this title and including water rights as identified in this section which are newly established hereafter.
(Ord. O-02-25 § 1 (Exh. A))