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Mayor Ed Lee signs urban agriculture ordinance at Earth Day event; city raises municipal green-building standard
Summary
At an Earth Day breakfast the San Francisco Department of the Environment and Mayor Edwin Lee celebrated recycling and energy programs and the mayor signed an urban agriculture ordinance while announcing a move to require LEED Gold performance for municipal and leasehold facilities.
Mayor Edwin Lee and San Francisco epartment of the Environment leaders used an Earth Day breakfast event to sign the city nd county—irst urban agriculture ordinance and to announce plans to raise municipal green-building standards.
Melanie Nutter, director of the Department of the Environment, opened the program by summarizing recent environmental accomplishments — a 77% diversion rate for recycling and composting and gains in local renewable generation — and highlighted programs to expand electric vehicle infrastructure and energy-efficiency assistance for small businesses. She said the city had more than 15 megawatts of locally generated solar power and called the city's diversion and green-job gains "the envy of the nation."
Mayor Edwin Lee said the city will "start doing every single building in the city on a LEED Gold Standard performance beginning now," expanding the standard to both municipal facilities and leasehold properties. Lee also announced he would sign the urban agriculture ordinance later that day, enabling neighborhood-scale food production and allowing many gardens and small urban farms to sell produce directly under updated planning rules.
Planning department and community speakers described how the ordinance resolves an older inconsistency in the code that prohibited the sale of produce grown within the city. Little City Gardens co-owners Brooke Budner and Caitlin Galloway described the ordinance as a crucial step that allows urban farms to test economic viability by selling produce. Board President David Chu and Supervisor Eric Mar thanked the volunteers and staff who drafted the legislation; multiple community groups were credited for advocacy and practical support.
The mayor and planning staff framed the ordinance as one component of a broader environmental agenda that also includes new municipal lighting, water-efficiency and monitoring requirements in the forthcoming municipal green-building legislation. The signing was ceremonial; implementation and code changes will depend on the Planning Department and subsequent administrative actions.
Next steps: the Mayor and Planning Department will finalize implementing details and an educational outreach schedule; staff noted technical and zoning guidance will follow for gardeners and small urban farms.
