October 2023 Update:
In late September, the WA State Supreme Court accepted four Amicus Memorandums from third parties in support of the FoSV and Futurewise petitions to be heard by the Supreme Court. The Amici are (1) Sierra Club, (2) Western Washington Agricultural Association, (3) Susan Boundy-Sanders and Paula Waters, and (4) a large coalition of farm support organizations and farm businesses, including American Farmland Trust, Farm Aid, Family Farm Defenders, Tilth Alliance, Washington Farmland Trust, Friends of Skagit County, Eastside Audubon, SnoValley Tilth, and Snoqualmie Valley Preservation Alliance.
Friends of Sammamish Valley and Futurewise both filed Petitions for Review to the Washington State Supreme Court in July 2023, requesting review of the Court of Appeals Div I opinion overturning the Growth Management Hearings Board invalidation of Adult Beverage Ordinance 19030.
On June 11, 2023, the Court of Appeals, Division I — in an updated opinion — overturned previous decisions by the Growth Management Hearings Board, which in recent years twice unanimously ruled that King County violated the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) and the Growth Management Act (GMA), when it adopted a broad array of zoning and other land use regulatory changes known as the Adult Beverage Ordinance in December 2019. The Board invalidated the Ordinance which would have allowed alcoholic beverage sale businesses — wine bars, taverns, and event centers — to locate on farmland and in rural areas throughout King County.
Concerned citizens, farm businesses, and environmental organizations agree with the Board’s decisions that in adopting the Ordinance the County failed to identify and evaluate environmental impacts, and did not ensure protection of agricultural lands, salmon habitats, open spaces, water quality, and the character of rural areas throughout King County as required by law.
Because the Court published their opinion it has statewide impacts. Future cases across the State of Washington can refer to this case as precedent for how to interpret certain aspects of SEPA and GMA.
We are working hard to uphold the Urban Growth Boundary and protect farmland, watersheds, wildlife habitat and the Rural Area residential neighborhoods from illegal urban sprawl. Please donate to our legal fund.
To stay up-to-date and get more details on what will happen next, please click here to receive FoSV emails. We send few emails - usually one every 6 to 8 weeks.
For a quick overview of the Adult Beverage legislation situation you can view or download a PDF of a May 2022 presentation.
Who We Are
Friends of Sammamish Valley (FoSV) is a group of citizens, businesses, and organizations with the goals of preserving the Sammamish Valley Agricultural Production District (APD), protecting the Sammamish River watershed, maintaining the character of the surrounding Rural Area, and preserving the rural lifestyle for local residents. Learn more.
WHAT IS AT STAKE
The Rural Areas and farmland of King County are currently being threatened by King County’s Adult Beverage Ordinance that allows for commercial and retail businesses to operate in protected rural and agricultural areas. The Sammamish Valley is Ground Zero - a handful of businesses including remote tasting rooms and event centers are already operating illegally outside of the urban boundaries. Rather than working with those businesses to relocate into nearby Urban Areas where they belong, the Adult Beverage Ordinance is a de-facto rezoning that would permanently establish them in the protected Rural Area. The Ordinance also opens the way for new urban use businesses across King County Rural Areas.
Production wineries, breweries, and distilleries are an important part of the region. But in drinking establishments such as remote tasting rooms, taverns, wine bars and event centers, retail distribution rather than beverage making is the only or predominant objective, and therefore they belong in the Urban Areas where the vast majority are already legally operating.
The result of allowing drinking establishments to operate in the Rural Areas and farmland where there is no commercial infrastructure is already on display in the Sammamish Valley: increased traffic congestion due to lack of turn lanes; parking in residential neighborhoods and on farmland; pedestrian safety issues; overflowing septic systems; water runoff that damages agricultural areas and rivers; lighting and noise pollution; and more environmental impacts. Specifically for the Sammamish Valley, this ordinance threatens a rural oasis and farmland that is needed more than ever as greater urban density comes to Redmond, Woodinville, Kirkland, and Bothell, and as climate change threatens our food supply. Increased commercialization in the Valley would also hurt the vast majority of legally operating businesses in Woodinville Wine Country that rely on the rural nature of the Valley as an attractive setting for visitors.
The Ordinance violates numerous state and local regulations, including the Washington State Growth Management Act (GMA), by allowing urban use businesses in the protected Rural Areas across King County. This is also being done in a way that sidesteps the long-accepted GMA process as a venue for all stakeholders to be heard in debates on urban growth vs rural preservation and potentially sets a dangerous statewide precedent. There is also plenty of space for these businesses to operate legally inside of the Urban Areas throughout King County.
Friends of Sammamish Valley is challenging the Ordinance at the WA State Growth Management Hearings Board (GMHB), the legal entity which hears land use cases related to the Growth Management Act (GMA). A summary of our case can be found here. Our Petition for Review to the GMHB is here. Friends of Sammamish Valley has been joined in opposition to the Ordinance by many organizations and businesses. A sampling of their letters to the County can be found here. Futurewise, a state-wide organization that focuses on proper implementation of GMA and is arguably the definitive voice on GMA issues, has also filed a petition to the GMHB. Detailed Q&A on the Ordinance passage and next steps are here.
what you can do
FoSV needs to raise an additional funds to defend the Ordinance legal challenge. Please join you neighbors and like minded individuals, businesses and organizations to help us defeat this devastating legislation.
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