Oregon Administrative Rules
Chapter 350 - COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE COMMISSION
Division 82 - LAND USE ORDINANCE
Section 350-082-0260 - Uses Allowed on Lands Designated SMA Agriculture

Universal Citation: OR Admin Rules 350-082-0260

Current through Register Vol. 63, No. 3, March 1, 2024

(1) Uses Allowed Outright. The uses listed in 350-082-0210(1) are allowed without review on lands designated SMA Agriculture.

(2) Expedited Uses. The uses listed in 350-082-0220(1) may be allowed subject to compliance with the expedited development review guidelines in 350-082-0220(2) on lands designated SMA Agriculture.

(3) Review Uses. The following uses may be allowed on lands designated SMA Agriculture subject to compliance with 350-082-0600 through 350-082-0720. The use or development shall be sited to minimize the loss of land suitable for the production of agricultural crops or livestock.

(a) New cultivation or new agricultural use outside of previously disturbed and regularly worked fields or areas. Clearing trees for new agricultural use is subject to the additional requirements of 350-082-0280(3)(w).

(b) Forest uses and practices, as allowed for in 350-082-0280(3)(x).

(c) A single-family dwelling necessary for and accessory to agricultural use upon a demonstration of compliance with all the following guidelines:
(A) The proposed dwelling would be the only dwelling on the subject farm or ranch, including contiguous lots and parcels.

(B) The farm or ranch upon which the dwelling will be located is currently devoted to agricultural use, where the day-today activities of one or more residents of the dwelling will be principally directed to the agricultural use of the land. The farm or ranch must currently satisfy subsection (C)(iv) below.

(C) The farm or ranch is a commercial agricultural enterprise as determined by an evaluation of the following criteria:
(i) Size of the entire farm or ranch, including all land in the same ownership.

(ii) Type(s) of agricultural uses (crops, livestock, orchard, etc.) and acreage.

(iii) Operational requirements for the particular agricultural use that are common to other agricultural operations in the area.

(iv) Average income. The farm or ranch, and all its contiguous parcels, must produce at least $80,000 in gross annual income in 2020 dollars. This gross annual income amount shall be indexed for inflation on an annual basis using Consumer Price Index data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the new adjusted amount for each calendar year (calculated from 2020 dollars) will be posted on the Gorge Commission's website by January 15 of each year. This determination can be made using the following formula: (A)(B)(C) = I where: A = Average yield of the commodity per acre or unit of production; B = Average price of the commodity; C = Total acres suitable for production, or total units of production that can be sustained, on the subject farm or ranch; and I = Income capability.

(D) Minimum parcel size of 40 contiguous acres.

(d) Farm labor housing on a parcel with an existing dwelling subject to compliance with all the following guidelines:
(A) The proposed housing is necessary and accessory to a current agricultural use, and the operation is a commercial agricultural enterprise as determined by an evaluation of the criteria listed in subsection (c)(C) above.

(B) The housing shall be seasonal, unless it is shown that an additional full-time dwelling is necessary for the current agricultural use. Seasonal use shall not exceed nine months.

(C) The housing shall be located to minimize the conversion of lands capable of production of farm crops and livestock and shall not force a significant change in or significantly increase the cost of accepted agricultural uses employed on nearby lands devoted to agricultural use.

(D) Minimum parcel size of 40 contiguous acres.

(e) Agricultural structures, except buildings, in conjunction with agricultural use.

(f) Agricultural buildings in conjunction with current agricultural use and, if applicable, proposed agricultural use that a landowner would initiate within one year and complete within five years, subject to compliance with 350-082-0380.

(g) Accessory structures for an existing or approved dwelling that are not otherwise allowed outright, eligible for the expedited development review process, or allowed in subsection (h) or (i), below.

(h) Accessory building(s) larger than 200 square feet in area or taller than ten feet in height for a dwelling on any legal parcel less than or equal to ten acres in size are subject to the following additional standards:
(A) The combined footprints of all accessory buildings on a single parcel shall not exceed 1,500 square feet in area. This combined size limit refers to all accessory buildings on a parcel, including buildings allowed without review, existing buildings and proposed buildings.

(B) The height of any individual accessory building shall not exceed 24 feet.

(i) Accessory building(s) larger than 200 square feet in area or taller than ten feet in height for a dwelling on any legal parcel larger than ten acres in size are subject to the following additional standards:
(A) The combined footprints of all accessory buildings on a single parcel shall not exceed 2,500 square feet in area. This combined size limit refers to all accessory buildings on a parcel, including buildings allowed without review, existing buildings and proposed buildings.

(B) The footprint of any individual accessory building shall not exceed 1,500 square feet.

(C) The height of any individual accessory building shall not exceed 24 feet.

(j) Home occupations subject to compliance with 350-082-0420. The use or development shall be compatible with agricultural use. Buffer zones should be considered to protect agricultural practices from conflicting uses.

(k) Bed and breakfast inns, subject to compliance with 350-082-0440. The use or development shall be compatible with agricultural use. Buffer zones should be considered to protect agricultural practices from conflicting uses.

(l) Fruit and produce stands.

(m) Aquaculture.

(n) Exploration, development, and production of sand, gravel, and crushed rock for the construction, maintenance, or reconstruction of roads used to manage or harvest commercial forest products on lands within the SMAs.

(o) Utility facilities necessary for public service, upon a showing that:
(A) There is no alternative location with less adverse effect on Agriculture lands.

(B) The size is the minimum necessary to provide the service.

(p) Temporary asphalt or batch plant operations related to public road projects, not to exceed six months.

(q) Community facilities and nonprofit facilities related to agricultural resource management.

(r) Resource enhancement projects for the purpose of enhancing scenic, cultural, recreation or natural resources, subject to compliance with 350-082-0460. These projects may include new structures (e.g., fish ladders, sediment barriers) or activities (e.g., closing and revegetating unused roads, recontouring abandoned quarries).

(s) Expansion of existing nonprofit group camps, retreats, and conference or education centers for the successful operation on the dedicated site. Expansion beyond the dedicated site is prohibited.

(t) Public recreation, commercial recreation, interpretive, and educational developments and uses, consistent with the guidelines in 350-082-0710 through 350-082-0720.

(u) Road and railroad construction and reconstruction.

(v) Agricultural product processing and packaging, upon demonstration that the processing will be limited to products produced primarily on or adjacent to the property. "Primarily" means a clear majority of the product as measured by volume, weight, or value.

(w) On a parcel of 40 acres or greater with an existing dwelling, the temporary use of a manufactured home or dwelling structure in the case of a family hardship, subject to compliance with 350-082-0390.

(x) Additions to existing buildings greater than 200 square feet in area or greater than the height of the existing building.

(y) Docks and boathouses, subject to compliance with 350-082-0410.

(z) Removal or demolition of structures that are 50 or more years old, including wells, septic tanks, and fuel tanks.

(aa) Disposal sites managed and operated by the Oregon Department of Transportation, the Washington State Department of Transportation, or a National Scenic Area county public works department for earth materials and any intermixed vegetation generated by routine or emergency/disaster public road maintenance activities within the National Scenic Area, subject to compliance with 350-082-0470.

Statutory/Other Authority: ORS 196.150, RCW 43.97.015, 16 USC § 544f(l)

Statutes/Other Implemented: ORS 196.150, RCW 43.97.015, 16 USC § 544f(l)

Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Oregon may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.