Olympia council approves urban-ag code update on first reading, sets pet-limit guardrails

The Olympia City Council on Tuesday approved on first reading an ordinance to update municipal rules around urban agriculture and household pets, aiming to remove regulatory barriers to growing food inside city limits while preserving tools for code enforcement.

Associate planner Casey Schoffler told the council the changes align with the Olympia 2045 comprehensive plan and the recommendations of the urban farming work group. The draft ordinance would allow agricultural uses — including small‑scale production and farm stands — as either a primary or accessory use in most residential and commercial districts, with the exception of downtown, auto‑services and industrial zones. Schoffler said city staff and contractors (including the Thurston Conservation District) have focused the effort on removing code language that previously limited agricultural activity.

Schoffler also flagged practical barriers the ordinance is intended to address. Several potentially suitable properties rely on private wells, so staff have discussed temporary, metered use of fire hydrants for seasonal irrigation subject to meter deposits and backflow prevention supplied by the landowner. “Public Works is very open to conversations on providing either increased discounts or other funding sources to help provide that irrigation access,” Schoffler said.

The ordinance distinguishes between sites of two acres or more and smaller lots. For larger parcels, the code would use USDA animal‑unit guidance as a nonbinding tool to determine appropriate livestock counts for enforcement situations (Schoffler called the USDA measure a guideline, not a mandatory adoption). The draft excludes commercial-scale greenhouses and similar uses that require conditional permits.

A central focus of the evening’s debate was a change to household pet rules folded into the urban‑ag update. Sarah Hawk, executive director of Joint Animal Services, urged council members to raise the city’s pet cap and remove a restriction that limited households to no more than three of any one species, saying strict numeric limits can block adoptions and foster placements. Schoffler said staff proposed raising the cap to eight and striking the “no more than three of any species” clause; Joint Animal Services had recommended a higher limit.

Council members expressed a mix of support and caution. Concerns included potential sanitation and pest issues, how enforcement would function (complaint‑driven, staff said), and protections for foster households. Schoffler noted code enforcement’s usual approach is voluntary compliance first and that the Thurston Conservation District can provide technical assistance in many cases.

After deliberation, Councilmember Madrone moved to adopt the ordinance on first reading with the amendments discussed by the council: keeping an explicit household limit while removing the “no more than three of any species” language and adopting the other urban‑ag updates. The motion carried by voice vote.

The action approves the ordinance for first reading; additional work — including any final numeric limits, clearer definitions for “small mammals,” and potential carve‑outs for registered foster households — was directed to staff and the Land Use committee for follow‑up.

What happens next: The ordinance was adopted on first reading; staff will prepare any subsequent readings and refined language requested by council, and the Land Use committee will continue work on details such as foster carve‑outs and small‑pet definitions.