05-16-2011 Planning Commission Packet

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. y V � � To: Chair Schoenzeit and Planning Commission Members Jessica Loftus, City Administrator From: Melanie Curtis, Planning&Zoning Coordinator ��/ Date: 10 May 2011 Subject: #11-3504, City of Orono,Zoning Text Amendment Residential Zoning Districts: Gardens as a Permitted Use Public Hearing List of Exhibits ExhibitA. Sample Definitions Exhibit B. Excerpt-Council Minutes 04/11/11 Introduction Gardening and other horticultural uses are currently allowed in Orono as accessory uses within residential zoning districts.A permitted principal use mus't be present on the property prior to the accessory use being allowed. This means,a house must exist on the property before a dock, a shed,or even a garden may be allowed. Crop farms are currently allowed and require a minimum of 10 acres of land. Orono's Zoning Code defines crop farms as"a parcel of land comprising an area of ten or more acres that are used for the growing of plants,trees or shrubs with or without profit". In the rural residential districts(RR-1A, RR-1B, RR-16-1) crop farms are allowed as a permitted or principal use; and within the lakeshore residential districts (LR-1A, LR- 1B, LR-1C& LR-1C-1) crop farms are allowed as a conditional use. Community gardens are used throughout urban areas to provide opportunities for residents without adequate space on their own property to plant and maintain a plot in a larger, multi- tenant garden.Some community gardens are created by non-profit and/or volunteer groups in order to grow needed healthy,fresh foods for donation to local food shelves. The City was recently approached by individuals interested in creating a community garden in Orono. The community garden would be run by volunteers. They propose to utilize vacant property to plant and maintain a garden for the purpose of donating the harvest to a local food bank/charity. Two of the properties discussed by the interested parties were the vacant lot on the northwest corner of Wayzata Boulevard and Willow Drive (aka Stonebay Outlot A)and the City-owned lot east of the Long Lake/Orono Fire Station. The Stonebay lot is currently zoned RR- 1B but is guided for B-6 PUD or non-residential. The City-owned lot is zoned RR-1B residential. In April,the City Council directed staff to study zoning code text amendments regarding community gardens. It made sense to include private, residential gardens in the study of community gardens. Within the residential zoning districts text amendments would be necessary in order to classify private gardens as a principal, permitted use.This may allow the � owner of a vacant residential property to create a garden plot for their personal use absent a principal structure. Analysis Private gardens on vacant properties, if properly maintained, may have little to no negative impact on the immediate neighborhood. However a garden requires regular maintenance, monitoring and upkeep.Orono has property maintenance regulations that would also apply to garden properties so they do not become a nuisance. As previously mentioned, a shed is not