Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Community Gardens topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commission agrees in principle to community gardens, asks staff to draft greenhouse permit rules
Summary
Commissioners signaled support for allowing community gardens but asked staff to return with zoning, size thresholds and permit pathways; consensus favored conditional-use permits for larger greenhouses and administrative review for small, accessory gardens.
Staff told the commission the development code lacks explicit guidance on community gardens and greenhouses and asked whether greenhouses should be permitted and, if so, by what review process. Staff noted anything under roughly 120 square feet typically does not require a building permit; larger greenhouses could trigger building permits and inspections.
Public commenters urged clarifying the differences among special events, conditional-use permits and temporary use permits and raised questions about sustainability and appropriate locations. One commenter observed that a sustainable, high-producing garden requires substantial acreage and recommended locating larger garden projects on appropriately zoned parcels (for example, near the golf course) rather than in small infill lots.
Commissioners generally supported allowing community gardens but recommended conditional-use permits and permit conditions for larger greenhouses (for example, a requirement to remove a greenhouse if the garden ceases). Staff was asked to return with zoning-based criteria, minimum sizes and permit-path recommendations to better distinguish small accessory gardens from larger community greenhouse projects. The commission did not adopt formal code changes; staff will bring back a refined proposal at a future study session.
