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Des Moines planners rewrite agricultural rules to allow urban farms, passive sales and seasonal structures
Summary
The Planning & Zoning Commission forwarded comprehensive amendments to Chapters 134 and 135 that create defined "urban garden" and "urban farm" uses, permit seasonal accessory agricultural structures (including hoop houses with new setbacks and heights) and allow passive on-site sales subject to equipment and setback limits; staff agreed to changes on contact info, weed language and sales days.
The Des Moines Planning and Zoning Commission voted to forward broad revisions to Chapters 134 and 135 of the municipal code that create clearer rules for urban agriculture, seasonal accessory buildings and related design standards.
Jason Maness, the city planner who presented the package, said staff rewrote the agricultural section to fit the existing code structure and to reflect guidance from the city's Adapt DSM resiliency plan and the Iowa State Extension Office. "We basically rewrote the entire agricultural section," Maness told the commission, saying the changes distinguish urban garden and urban farm uses, add aquaculture/hydroponics categories and clarify when uses are permitted by right versus conditional use.
Why it matters: the amendments are intended to reduce barriers for neighborhood-scale food production while adding basic performance standards for structures and sales that can affect adjacent residences. The package moves some design rules from zoning into the design code, creates a data-center…
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