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Council hears measure to allow residential urban gardens and on‑site sales; planning commission recommended approval
Summary
City staff and sustainability officials presented a text amendment to Lincoln Municipal Code to allow individual urban gardens and limited on‑site sales in residential districts; the planning commission unanimously recommended approval April 16 and several community groups spoke in favor at council hearing May 5.
City staff on May 5 presented a proposed amendment to the Lincoln Municipal Code to expand opportunities for urban gardening and to allow limited on‑site sales of produce in residential and residential‑adjacent zones.
Senior Planner Paul Barnes and Anna Eddings, sustainability specialist with the mayor’s office, described the changes as implementing recommendations from the 2023–2027 local food system plan and the city’s climate action plan. "This initiative directly supports two key goals in our local food system plan: increasing access to healthy food for all residents and investing in our local food and farm community," Eddings said.
The amendment would update definitions in Chapter 27.02 and allow urban gardens to operate on residentially zoned properties, permit on‑site sales under defined conditions, and recognize urban gardening as an allowable home occupation. Barnes told the council the planning commission reviewed the item on April 16 and unanimously recommended approval.
Several community organizations spoke in support during the council hearing. Ken Winston, representing Nebraska Interfaith Power & Light and the Nebraska Sierra Club, cited environmental, health and social benefits of local food systems, and urged the council to adopt the change. "This amendment is supported by the climate action plan," Winston said, noting local food production reduces transportation and lawn‑maintenance fossil fuel use.
Kirsten Heiberger, representing Friends of Wilderness Park, said her board supported the amendment because it increases local food access and strengthens community connections to nature.
Council members asked staff technical questions. One councilor asked whether pesticide application and food safety would be enforced; Barnes and planning staff said existing health and safety codes in Titles 5 and 8 and state and federal pesticide regulations remain in force and that complaints would be handled through existing complaint and code enforcement processes. Barnes said the text amendment streamlines land‑use approvals for gardens but does not change existing health and nuisance rules.
At the time of the hearing, no final council vote on the code change was recorded in the transcript; the item had received a unanimous planning commission recommendation on April 16. Staff noted several letters of support had been received and that the change is intended to expand culturally relevant produce choices and small economic opportunities for residents while supporting food security.
The council discussion closed after public testimony and staff responses; the transcript does not record a final council action on the amendment during the meeting.
