Kankakee Council sends zoning text amendment for pilot "urban farm in cargo container" to Planning & Zoning

The Kankakee City Council moved by consensus to refer a proposed zoning text amendment to the Planning & Zoning Commission for a public hearing that would authorize a pilot program allowing "urban farms in cargo containers" on property owned by the city.

City Planner said the draft amendment “includes 2 new definitions. 1 would be for urban farm and the other is for cargo container,” and that the change would create a new chapter titled “urban farm in cargo container.” The planner said the use would be permitted on city-owned property only and would require council approval of each property location and an annual lease agreement.

The amendment, as described in the meeting, would require applicants to submit a basic site plan showing location, setbacks, major nearby features, existing trees and access points; anyone installing or constructing the container would need to be identified in the application. The planner said applicants must obtain a building permit and comply with building, fire and zoning regulations and must obtain a business license.

A council member described the proposal as a pilot and urged safeguards to prevent widespread placement on private lots: “Because this is a pilot a pilot program,” the member said, adding that the pilot gives the city “some control over where these can be located.” Council members discussed that opening the allowance to private property later would require a change to the zoning ordinance and possibly a map amendment or conditional-use requirements.

Council members raised concerns about proliferation in residential areas and emphasized the council’s authority to deny placement in locations it finds inappropriate. One council member said they would not favor allowing containers in residential zones: “I would hope that we would never make containers available on residential zone property.”

The committee discussed lease terms and annual review; the planner said the ordinance could require a lease agreement and that staff could work with applicants on site plans since the pilot would generally be on city property. The draft contemplates annual review but allows flexibility in lease length “so it always has to be a 1 year necessarily,” according to a council member.

One member said they represent the individual who brought the request and declared they would abstain from the vote on advancing the text amendment. The committee indicated there were enough members to reach consensus to forward the amendment to Planning & Zoning.

The planner said the item must go to Planning & Zoning for a hearing (a text-amendment hearing is required) and said the commission hearing was being targeted for May 20; if Planning & Zoning recommends approval, the ordinance language would return to the full City Council for final action.

Next steps: the text amendment will be scheduled for a Planning & Zoning public hearing; if recommended, it will proceed to the full City Council for consideration. The draft, as presented, limits the pilot to city-owned property, requires council approval of individual locations, and includes site-plan, permit and licensing requirements.