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City adopts new beekeeping rules and $75 permit fee; limits near key preserves
Summary
Council gave second-reading approval to a new municipal ordinance authorizing residential beekeeping with a $75 permit and a 500-foot exclusion around certain preserves and Fairview Park.
The City Council voted 7–0 on Jan. 21 to adopt amended municipal code language allowing residential beekeeping with a required permit and a $75 application and renewal fee.
Lieutenant (Animal Services) presented the ordinance as a response to community interest; staff said the city will continue to require permits and that the ordinance was revised to prohibit hives within 500 feet of Fairview Park, Talbert Park, Upper Newport Bay (Back Bay) and the Frank and Joan Randall Preserve. The ordinance also clarifies appeal procedures for special-animal permits and adds the beekeeping permit to the city’s consolidated fee schedule.
Supporters spoke at the hearing, telling the council they had worked for years on a safe permitting path. Speaker Alberta (professional beekeeper) said the permit pathway would support sustainable urban beekeeping and community gardening. Council members who had requested buffer language said the 500-foot exclusion balances support for residents who want to keep bees with protection for sensitive habitat areas.
Ending: The ordinance passed on the second reading and staff will add the fee amount to the consolidated schedule and implement the permitting process.
