Distilleries, wineries, and breweries could still be able to include a full-service commercial kitchen in the most recent modification to the zoning rules suggested by the Yakima County Planning Commission.
After reexamining the issue once more, the commission members suggested requiring an open hearing and an official decision from an independent hearing examiner before the food service can be added.
The county planning commission discussed rules changes for agritourism companies that operate in agricultural zones during its Wednesday night meeting, which was held on May 11 online meeting. This was their third consecutive month of discussing the rules after a long February. Nine public hearings.
The month before, officials from the county planning department highlighted a legal loophole resulting from the commission’s previous suggestion to permit fully commercial kitchens at “basic” wineries that make wine and run tasting rooms.
At present, these types of distilleries, wineries, and breweries can offer “limited” food service -prepared meals that are not prepared on-site, the county’s coordinator Olivia Story said. Food trucks are permitted on special occasions, she said.
The next stage of agritourism allows sales at retail and events of limited size like smaller weddings or concert venues that are not more than 1500 sq. feet. County planner Tommy Carroll said. Like the first level of agritourism activities (wineries distilleries, breweries, and distilleries), local catering and visits by food trucks are permitted.
County officials plan to combine the other agritourism businesses in third grouping resorts and destinations, allowing for more significant events at the larger space and more than 12 lodging units to provide accommodation for overnight stays, retail sales, and full-service restaurant outlets.
After Carroll looked over the three different types of agritourism activities and the different levels of approval required for each one, he advised that only those in the 3rd type of agritourism businesses need the strictest criteria for permission to be permitted to include restaurants.
“We revisited these rules due to changes in the wine industry, which offers more events and amenities than they were 20 or 25 years ago,” Carroll stated. “The hearing examiner is the appropriate level to make the final decision” regarding resort agritourism with full-service restaurants.
Planning Commission Chairman Doug Mayo agreed with Carroll and amended his resolution from the April meeting to call for the ATO level 3 review before a hearing examiner. The amendment was voted down by a 4-0 vote by Mayo and the commission the members Jerry Craig, Holly Castle, and Michael Shuttleworth. Two commission members, Kyle Curtis and Robert Tree, were not present.
The commission also discussed the setting up and demolishing of temporary structures for outdoor events in zones zoned for agricultural use, like Chinook Fest in the Naches region. These regulations apply to any event that draws more than 500 people over five hours.
Story County Planning officials surveyed nearby counties to determine the rules they had for constructing temporary structures, the time they were checked to ensure safety, and the time organizers needed to take them down.
The commission members eventually voted 4-0 in favor of recommending that temporary structures be put up no at least 14 days before the event and should be taken down within ten days following the end of the event. The commission did not establish an inspection timeframe.
The commission members also provided a couple of definitions for the proposed rules for agritourism. For instance, a brewery that produces more than 60,000 barrels of beer per year is considered a domestic beer brewery. These are subject to stricter guidelines and approval standards than microbreweries, with less than 60,000 barrels each year. It could also comprise hop fields or grain fields and an area for tasting.
The story revealed that the final definitions and modifications to the county’s proposed changes to the agritourism rules would be reviewed to make a final decision at the planning commission meeting on June 8. This recommendation will be presented to Yakima County’s Board of Commissioners. Yakima County Board of Commissioners can either decide to approve or deny the new rules.
