05-23-2011 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday, May 23, 2011 7:00 o'clock p.m. • (8. #11 -3504 PUBLIC HEARING - CITY OF ORONO - ZONING TEXT AMENDMENT RESIDENTIAL ZONING DISTRICTS: GARDENAS A PERMITTED USE, Continued) Mattick stated Item No. 3 states that you do not need any text amendments to accomplish the community garden request if the Council designates the land as park and then enters into a license agreement. As it relates to the other item regarding gardens as a primary use, the Council could table that part of the application. Mattick pointed out that a code amendment is not required to accommodate the community garden request if Option 3 is chosen. Mattick stated in his opinion he does not feel a garden is something that would be governed under a special event permit. Bremer stated one other item that came to her mind is what happens at the end of the growing season and that there will be a natural letdown in the activity as the number of volunteers decrease. Bremer stated the Council needs to address cleanup of the site following the growing season in the license agreement. Mattick noted that is addressed preliminarily under Item 5C in the license agreement, which states that at the end of the growing season and following harvest, all vegetation should be removed or tilled under and covered with material acceptable to the City as well as management of erosion at the site. Printup stated the growing season is very specific and usually goes from May or June to October. Franchot stated he would question the specifics of the growing season since it can be quite variable and he would be more comfortable with specific dates. Mattick noted the license agreement states October 31st. Rahn asked if temporary under Item B in the license agreement should be better defined. Curtis stated the 12 suggested conditions within Staff's memo were generally related to a community garden and that the license agreement could contain more specific recommendations relating to a specific lot. Printup noted the license agreement refers to a community garden and elsewhere in the application it refers to it as a donation garden. Curtis asked whether the City Council would prefer to use the term donation garden. Franchot asked what the difference is between a donation garden and a community garden. Printup stated the idea of a donation garden is that 100 percent of the produce is donated. Franchot stated in his personal view allowing gardens on an empty lot seems sensible and that he is not opposed to it. Franchot stated as it relates to community or donation gardens, he has some concerns about whether the volunteer efforts would be sustained past the first couple of weeks or month and that he also has a concern with how to get rid of something that is only marginally a success. Franchot noted the City's plan for this specific property has been to become a tax producing asset, and to . the extent this garden becomes an established ongoing effort, the City would be taking a piece of property off of the tax rolls, which is a concern. Franchot indicated he would agree with a one year trial period with the Council continuing to look at it and discuss all of the ramifications. Franchot commented he is Page 13 of 24