Title
AN ORDINANCE ratifying and confirming in all respects Ordinance 15883 that was introduced on July 16, 2007, and adopted as amended by the metropolitan King County council on July 30, 2007; and declaring an emergency.
Body
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. Findings:
A. The Growth Management Act ("GMA"), Countywide Planning Policies ("CPPs") and King County Comprehensive Plan ("KCCP") require the delineation and protection of valuable and increasingly limited agricultural resource lands and supports regulations that serve to encourage the continuation of agriculture land uses.
B. King County has identified and designated a number of Agricultural Production Districts including the Snoqualmie Valley Agricultural Production District.
C. The Snoqualmie Valley Agricultural Production District, at fourteen thousand five hundred eighty-one acres, is the single, largest agricultural production district in King County and historically has had a very productive agricultural industry.
D. The Snoqualmie Valley Agricultural Production District is regularly inundated by flood waters and has experienced six of the eight largest flood events on record in the last twenty-one years, with the likelihood of more-frequent occurrences in the future.
E. These flood water levels are often increased by a number and variety of factors, such as storm water from development on the uplands that drain into the Snoqualmie valley.
F. The Snoqualmie Valley Agricultural Production District is distinct from the other designated agricultural production districts of King County in that a significant majority of the Snoqualmie Valley Agricultural Production District is located within the one-hundred-year floodplain.
G. The regular occurrence of flooding has greatly impacted agriculture within the Snoqualmie Valley Agricultural Production District due to the lack of elevated farm pads that provide safe havens for farm animals and on which farm products, such as seeds, flower bulbs, hay and similar products and farm equipment could be placed during a flooding event.
H. In light of these facts, on July 30, 2007, the metropolitan King County council adopted Ordinance 15883, on an emergency basis, to establish a demonstration project, as authorized under K.C.C. chapter 21A.55, for the emergency repair or reconfiguration of existing livestock flood sanctuaries or converting existing livestock flood sanctuaries to farm flood pads within the Snoqualmie Valley Agriculture Production District.
I. Ordinance 15883 was adopted as an interim official control under RCW 36.70A.390.
J. A question has arisen whether the process followed by the county in adopting Ordinance 15883 was adequate to meet the requirements of RCW 36.70A.390. It is therefore appropriate to adopt this ordinance ratifying and confirming Ordinance 15883 in order to address that concern and to clarify that Ordinance 15883 is valid and binding in the county and that all work commenced under it, which complies with its requirements and with all other applicable law, remains consistent with King County law.
K. Given the likelihood that future floods will increase in frequency and intensity and in order to expedite the repair, reconstruction and expansion activities authorized by Ordinance 15883 before the start of the next flood season, a waiver of state and county public notice requirements is necessary and an emergency action by the council is appropriate.
SECTION 2. Metropolitan King County council Ordinance 15883, establishing the Livestock Flood Sanctuaries and Farm Flood Pads Demonstration Project, which Ordinance is attached hereto as Attachment A to this ordinance and incorporated by reference as if set out in full, is hereby ratified and confirmed in all respects.
SECTION 3. For the reasons set forth in section 1 of this ordinance, the county council finds as a fact and declares that an emergency exists and that this ordinance is necessary for the immediate preservation of public peace, healthy or safety or for the support of county government and its existing public institutions.
SECTION 4. This ordinance is adopted as an interim official control under RCW 36.70A.390 and expires February 1, 2008.
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