Page 85 - Rural Tourism Report Washington County

CHAPTER 4: RURAL TOURISM REGULATORY FRAMEWORK

Recently Adopted Legislation Washington County Land Use Regulations
Several bills related to rural tourism were enacted in

the 2015 Oregon Legislative Session, as follows: Affected Washington County Rural Land Use
Districts
Senate Bill 341 & ORS 30.687-67 – Limited Washington County’s resource districts where the
Liability for Agritourism Providers and Equine majority of agricultural production occurs are the
Activity Operators Exclusive Farm Use (EFU) and Agriculture/Forest
To facilitate the expansion of rural tourism events (AF-20) districts. These two districts are the focus

that bring the public onto farm lands, SB341 of both the agritourism and wineries legislation
limits liability of farms for perceived or real risks previously described.
associated with agritourism when required warning
notices are posted. ORS 30.687-67 similarly limits In addition to these two districts, Washington County
liability of horse ranches and equestrian centers. has seven other rural land use districts that currently
The County’s legal staff should determine whether support varying forms of rural tourism and which
it already has authority to include related “hold- may or may not be suitable for the expansion of

harmless” provisions in the CDC. In any event, these related uses on an allowed or restricted basis. These
recently enacted state laws remove a potential include the resource district known as Exclusive
constraint to expansion of rural tourism uses. See Forest Conservation (EFC), and the following non-
earlier discussion in Chapter 3 (Page 55, item 6). resource districts:

Senate Bill 623A • Agriculture and Forest– Five-Acre Minimum
– Eliminate (AF-5)
Wine Production • Agriculture and Forest – 10-Acre Minimum
Restriction (AF-10)

This bill eliminates
wine production • Rural Residential – Five-Acre Minimum
restriction for wineries (RR-5)
when full on-premises • Rural Commercial (R-COM)
sales licenses are • Rural Industrial (R-IND)
acquired. This allows

the simultaneous • Land-Extensive Industrial (MAE)
sale of wine or hard These lands largely support uses serving the needs
cider under a winery of the rural community that cannot be accommo-
license, and liquor sales dated on resource farm and forest lands. Rural tour-
authorized under the Photo courtesy of Patti Skinkis ism related uses within these districts are largely
on-premises sales license. Though this bill applies to addressed in Tables 4.1 and 4.3.
OLCC regulations rather than land use provisions, it
could provide more flexibility for wineries to operate
as full-service bars besides pouring their own wines.

WASHINGTON COUNTY RURAL TOURISM STUDY 81