Urban Ag zoning amendment - final hearing to be at City Commission

[Michael Almon]

LAWRENCE URBAN AGRICULTURE ZONING - TO CITY COMMISSION
Tuesday, 22 March 2016, 5:45pm (tentative date)
Lawrence City Hall, 6 East 6th St., Lawrence KS 66044

Ever since Sustainability Action challenged the Lawrence Property Maintenance Code on 23 June 2015, the provisions of which could shut down small urban growers for "accumulation of debris" (compost, straw bales, tomato cages, etc,), we have been collaborating for 8 months with the Food Policy Council, the Sustainability Advisory Board, and the Lawrence Planning Office to craft Code language for an Urban Agriculture Text Amendment.  The amendment has seen several manifestations along the way, and it's final draft got a unanimous vote by the Planning Commission last week to recommend approval.  Now it will be heard at the City Commission for final adoption, with a tentative date of 22 March.  Check the agenda at - http://www.lawrenceks.org/agendas.

This final draft can be accessed at - Urban Ag text amendment_PC agenda_22Feb16.  Most provisions are supported by all the stakeholders, although the section on "small animal slaughtering" drew some controversy - philosophical, not functional.  The amendment contains provisions for the following: many types of gardens such as personal, community, CSAs, and urban farms; new animal provisions for rabbits, small goats and sheep, and honey bees and mason bees; urban ag inclusive of aquaculture, horticulture, permaculture, hydroculture, agroforestry, beekeeping, gardening, and animal husbandry; sales of produce within residential zones and at farmers' markets; structures like hoop houses, cold frames, greenhouses, sheds, composting bins, and rain barrel systems; crops exempt from the definition of "weeds"; and agricultural implements, equipment, and materials are not considered "debris" under the Property Maintenance Code.

thanks for everyone's efforts,
Michael Almon
Sustainability Action

[Susan Jones]

Sounds like les of good work Michael et All. Congrats and speedy passage. 

Susan Jones

Sent from my iPhone

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[Steve Potratz]

That sounds awesome, I wonder if we could get something like that into Overland Park!  Just dreaming I suppose.

 

Steve

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[Michael Almon]

Don't sell yourself short, Steve.  The Lawrence effort was inspired a lot by the work of Cultivate K.C. a few years back when they spearheaded changes in the Kansas City MO zoning code.  Other metro communities have done similar - maybe Mission and Roeland Park? (not really sure which ones).  But you might get some organizing tips from Cultivate K.C. on this.  It might be wise to start with something doable like allowing chickens (Lawrence got chickens approved a couple years earlier).  Then ratchet it up to front yard gardens, or small goats, or home produce sales, or whatever combination that you can successfully argue for.

good luck,
Michael

On 03/01/2016 05:27 PM, Steve Potratz wrote: