ACTION REQUESTED:
Title
Communication from the City Manager and Director of Community Development with a Request to Concur with the Planning & Zoning Commission and Staff to ADOPT an ORDINANCE Amending Appendix A, the Unified Development Code, Relating to COMMUNITY GARDENS and URBAN FARMS.
Body
BACKGROUND:
The City of Peoria has been partnering with community organizations on community garden and urban farm opportunities. As such, the City has identified the need to simplify the community garden regulations, particularly related to garden and fence placement.
Further, some community gardens involve multiple parcels, and in some instances are more than 1 acre in size, which has caused the need to develop separate 'urban farm' regulations for larger garden sites, and the need for a public hearing on residential properties, as an urban farm use is a significant change from single-family residential structures.
The Planning & Zoning Commission found that the request met the Findings of Fact and voted 4 to 0 to APPROVE the text amendment as proposed.
Following the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting, City staff met with a representative of University of Illinois Extension and six Master Gardeners, who are involved with community gardens in Peoria, to obtain feedback on the proposed text amendment. Their suggestions related to fence material (allowance of chain link), end of season maintenance, compost container, and hoop house size and height were incorporated into the attached ordinance.
The following provides a summary of the proposed changes:
Unified Development Code Current Requirement
Unified Development Code Section
Proposed Change
Justification
1. Community gardens are currently limited to less than 2 acres.
Appendix A, Section 5.3.2.G.1.b.
Limit the size to less than 1 acre.
Community gardens of less than 1 acre in size, would continue to be allowed with adherence to performance standards and no approval required. Once the garden ...
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