Des Moines council adopts municipal code amendments spelling out urban garden and farm rules

The Des Moines City Council on Oct. 21 voted unanimously to adopt amendments to chapters 134 and 135 of the municipal code that revise permitted-use categories and spell out rules for urban gardens and urban farms.

The changes, described by staff as final consideration of the ordinance package, update definitions and use categories including agricultural uses and data-center allowances in commercial zones, adjust separation requirements for on-site liquor, beer and wine sales associated with restaurants, and revise rules on home occupations, medical office and daycare uses, accessory buildings, setback averaging and outdoor lighting. Chris Johansen, identified in the meeting as Neighborhood Services Director, requested waiver of additional readings for the ordinances.

Council members raised questions about how the new urban garden and urban farm language would be enforced. “The chemical requirements that you see for the urban farms…already exist in the code,” Cody Christensen, Director of Development Services, told the council. “So the question as to how it will be enforced, it’ll be enforced the same way that it’s enforced today. Neighborhood services staff, if they receive complaints about applications of chemicals that don’t comply with code, then they would go out and do the inspections on that and take appropriate action as necessary.”

A council member said the distinction between urban farms and urban gardens aligns with the city’s climate action plan and food-security recommendations and thanked staff for the work. The ordinance package passed on a recorded vote announced as 7–0.

Next steps: the ordinance changes were adopted by council vote; staff will implement the code updates and rely on Neighborhood Services complaint-driven inspections to enforce chemical-application rules.