Commission schedules public hearing for agricultural garden special‑use; requests address and acreage

The Garden City Planning Commission on July 10 voted to schedule a public hearing on a special‑land‑use request seeking to establish an agricultural garden on vacant residential parcels on the east side of Garden Avenue, south of Hennepin. The motion passed unanimously.

Planner Ortega said the applicant has been using the vacant site to grow garlic and other crops and is seeking formal authorization that would allow a storage shed and storage of materials related to the operation. Ortega explained that, in the R‑1 district, accessory structures are generally not allowed where there is no principal residence, which is why the applicant pursued special‑land‑use approval.

Commissioners expressed concern that the application materials lacked a street address and requested staff provide the parcel addresses, parcel identification numbers and the total area in square feet (or acres) to clarify whether state statutes such as the Right to Farm Act could affect the request. Commissioners also discussed the possibility that an approval that allowed accessory structures without a primary residence could set a citywide precedent; staff noted that, because the process is a special‑land‑use review, the commission could tailor conditions such as limiting structure size and prohibiting outdoor storage.

Planning staff will include an aerial photo and parcel lines in the public‑hearing packet and will ask the applicant to clarify intended uses and whether sales or other commercial activity is planned. The public hearing was scheduled and will return to the commission with the requested clarifications before any decision is made.