ACTION REQUESTED:
Title
Communication from the City Manager and Director of Community Development with a Request to Concur with the Recommendation from the Planning and Zoning Commission and Staff to ADOPT the Following:
A. An ORDINANCE Amending APPENDIX B of the CODE of the City of Peoria Relating to BEEKEEPING; and,
B. An ORDINANCE Amending APPENDIX C of the CODE of the City of Peoria Relating to BEEKEEPING.
Body
BACKGROUND:
At the March 22, 2016 City Council meeting, several questions were raised related to beekeeping. The questions that were not answered at that meeting are found below:
* Can the City consider allowing chickens within the corporate boundaries?
o City staff will research this issue and provide a report back to Council this summer.
* Will beekeepers be required to provide a copy of their State license before being permitted to establish hives in Peoria?
o Yes. A beekeeper must provide a copy of a State license as part of their application for a City permit.
* Will beekeeping be considered a business?
o In the vast majority of cases, beekeeping in urban areas is a hobby. Any honey or other product not used for personal purposes is typically sold at farmers markets or similar events.
o If honey were to be sold from a residential property, the property owner must follow all of the existing requirements for a home occupation use. This would include hours of operation, no exterior signs, and a limited number of visitors each day.
* Can honey and other products be sold from roadside stands?
o The Zoning Ordinance currently allows limited use of stands to sell produce. We would consider the sale of honey or related items as produce for this purpose.
* Are neighbors safe from a beehive?
o If a beehive is properly maintained, there is very little risk of any injury to surrounding residents. Honeybees are not aggressive insects, and the requirement to install a flyway barrier significantly reduces the potential for a...
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