King County v. Friends of Sammamish Valley

Overview

(Supreme Court of Washington, September 19, 2024): The Supreme Court of Washington found that King County failed to properly consider the environmental impacts of changes made to zoning laws designed to support certain types of businesses–wineries, breweries, and distilleries in rural areas. Washington’s State Environmental Protection Act (SEPA) requires significant analysis of the environmental impacts of development projects. King County passed zoning changes that would allow for expanded operations at certain alcohol businesses, including permitting remote tasting rooms, large events, and paved parking areas to accommodate the changes. These changes would apply in rural and agricultural communities. The County argued that it was not required to conduct the full SEPA analysis of environmental impacts. The Court rejected that argument, finding SEPA applicable and the County’s environmental assessment inadequate. Read the full Opinion here.

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