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Planning commission approves code changes to allow on‑site sales from urban gardens and home occupations
Summary
The Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval of text amendment 25005 to the Lincoln Municipal Code to permit individual urban gardens on residential lots and to allow limited on‑site sale of produce with conditions; the changes also clarify home‑occupation rules for garden sales.
The Lincoln Lancaster County Planning Commission voted 8–0 to approve text amendment 25005, revising the Lincoln Municipal Code to expand opportunities for growing and selling produce in residential districts.
Under the amendment, the municipal code’s definition of “urban garden” will be updated to allow either multiple gardeners (community gardens) or a single gardener on a residential lot. The proposal also permits on‑site sales of produce grown in an urban garden subject to limits on days of operation and sales infrastructure. Planning staff said the change to home‑occupation rules will exempt garden area from the 20% home‑business floor‑area limit and remove a screening requirement that previously implied gardens must be hidden behind fences or other screening.
Andrew Theroff, planning department staff, said the amendment addresses two gaps: individual gardeners cannot today establish a garden on a vacant residential lot and residential produce sales are not permitted on site. “There’s really two parts to this text amendment,” Theroff said. “We’d be updating the definition of urban garden to say that it could be a group of people or just one person… and produce sold from the garden could be sold in a residential district with limitations.”
Kim Morrow of the mayor’s office described how the change aligns with city goals on local food and resilience. “We are proposing two specific code changes… These changes will lead to more Lincoln residents growing and selling more local food,” Morrow said, noting city analyses showing low access to healthy food in about 20 census tracts. Morrow added the proposal supports the local food system plan’s goals to increase access to healthy food and invest in local food production.
The amendment includes limits drawn from peer cities, Theroff said; commissioners asked staff about enforcement and education. Staff said the use will be allowed by right — no planning permit would be required for most gardens — and the city is coordinating with the health department and community partners on voluntary tracking and outreach, including educational resources and best‑practice guidance for composting, pesticide use and food donation.
Supporters who testified included representatives of Sierra Club and neighborhood garden organizers, who emphasized food security, neighborhood cohesion and environmental benefits. Commissioners asked several technical questions about weed control, composting rules and how the city would track gardens; staff said many related regulations (noise, health and sanitation, composting rules) already apply and the city is working on education and coordination.
Provenance: planning staff introduced Item 4.2 with a code summary; the commission later recorded the vote with the clerk announcing “Approved 8 to 0.”
Ending: The planning commission’s recommendation will be forwarded to the city council for final action; staff said they will continue coordination with public‑health officials and community partners on outreach and implementation.
