IMPORTANT UPDATE: City Council Rules Committee Passed Bills 120916 & 120917, Full Council Vote Set Jan. 24th

[Robyn Mello‏]

Please read below message from Amy Laura Cahn. We need to step up our game & educate every Council Representative before January 24th.

This disregard for all the gardeners who have spoken out against these bills is unacceptable. Make your voice heard!

Love,

PFF+OVaL

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Amy Laura Cahn <ac...@pilcop.org>
Date: Thu, Dec 13, 2012 at 2:03 PM
Subject: Urban ag and zoning code update
To: Amy Laura Cahn <ac...@pilcop.org>

I wanted to send an update to those of you who have been following the zoning code issues and alert those of you who have not. 

 

This morning, the Rules Committee voted (4-3) to pass O’Neill’s misguided zoning amendments. 

 

The good news: the amendments had been amended significantly so that the bill no longer calls for the remapping of the entire city.  The other good news – O’Neill amended the bill to allow community gardens and urban farms by special exception. 

 

The bad news: Special exceptions are no simple administrative process and will be a huge burden for folks gardening and farming.  To put this in context:

·         A full third of all commercial land in the City is CMX-2.

·         Twenty percent of existing garden and farm parcels are CMX-2 and are now illegal under the pending ordinance doctrine.

 

Folks from the Administration thanked me for the work we all have done to mobilize on this issue.  I am passing that on to all of you.  Many thanks!

 

I will be working with Eva and folks at Councilwoman Quiñones-Sanchez's office to figure out next steps.  Eva's first comment to me was "you need to flood council offices with calls."  So, let's do it. 

 

I would love to hear from those of you who are interested

(1)   working to get the word out to and mobilize stakeholders,

(2)   reaching out to council members in your district,

(3)   writing editorials or letters to the editor and

(4)   testifying in council.

 

The full Council vote will be 1/24, so there is so time, but we need to get started soon. 

 

This morning, I also spoke with folks at Next Great City and Philly Food Forests about gathering folks together to talk about a larger advocacy effort on behalf of sustainability issues, including urban agriculture, in preparation for hearings on the land bank.  If you are interested in this, please let me know.

 

Best,

Amy Laura

 

NOTE: I have been periodically updating folks on this list about policy issues related to urban agriculture -- if you're not interested in receiving these emails, drop me a line.

 

Amy Laura Cahn

Skadden Fellow/Staff Attorney

Garden Justice Legal Initiative

Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia

United Way Building, Second Floor

1709 Ben Franklin Parkway

Philadelphia, PA 19103

tel. 215-627-7100 ext. 236

fax 215-627-3183

ac...@pilcop.org

[Stephanie Bartusis‏]

Hey all. I will gladly write letters to editors. I will start with grid magazine, reach out to generocity. Is there anywhere else you can think of? Do you think its a good idea to have a writing get together instead of the next workshop? I offer a potential gathering at my house this Thursday day and night 12.20 and maybe Sunday 12.23 somewhere else.