Transcript Document

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Urban Agriculture
“By Right” in Chicago
Zach Clayton
Chicago Department of Environment
Urban Management and Brownfields Redevelopment
April 5, 2011
Copyright City of Chicago 2011
Why Urban Agriculture?
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Food security
Food access
Education
Reinvestment
Green space
Labor/Land Ratio
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Copyright City of Chicago 2011
History of Urban Agriculture in Chicago
Nothing to date is an official commercial garden
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Victory Gardens (1930/40s)
Cook County Sheriff’s Garden (1989)
Growing Home (1992)
City Farm (2000)
Growing Power (2002)
Cob Connection (2007)
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Urban Agriculture “By Right”
Commercial vs. Community
Garden
Principle vs. Accessory Use
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Zoning Code Overview
A key goal of zoning codes is to limit conflicting
and incompatible uses.
Districts:
-Residential
-Commercial
-Manufacturing
-Public Open Space
-Downtown
-Shopping
-Planned Manufacturing
Copyright City of Chicago 2010
Process for Amending
Chicago Zoning Code
1. Presented at City Council
2. Referred to appropriate Committee for
deliberation
3. Addressed by Committee at their meeting,
at which time there is the public hearing
(tentatively May 2011???)
4. Adopted after Committee makes decision and
“reports out” in full Council, it is then
registered in Council proceedings
Copyright City of Chicago 2010
Proposed Zoning for
Community Gardens
Permitted uses in:
• Parks and Open Space (POS) 1&2
• Residential (R)
• Business (B)
• Commercial (C)
• Downtown (D)
Use standards:
• Site area – max. 18,750 square feet
• Incidental sales may be permitted on-site
• Accessory structures – max. 10% of site area or 100 sq.
ft. (whichever is greater, does not include hoophouses)
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Proposed Zoning for
Commercial Gardens
Permitted uses in:
• Business (B3)
• Commercial (C1, C2 & C3)
• Manufacturing (M2 & M3)
• Planned Manufacturing District
(PMD 9, 10 & 13)
Use standards:
• Accessory retail sales of goods produced
on site – max. 3000 sq. ft. (In M and PMD)
• Parking requirement of 1 space per 3 employees or more by
parking determination
• Existing screening and corresponding district standards and
landscape ordinance requirements apply
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Interdepartmental Process (2010-ongoing)
• Compost (DOE)
– Principle Use
– Accessory Commercial Use
• Human Health Exposure (DHED/DOE)
– Community and Commercial Gardens
– Brownfields Environmental Protocol
• Livestock (DPH & DOB)
– Fish and Bees
• Food Enterprises (DHED, DOB, DPH, Law)
– Shared-use Kitchens, Food Peddlers, Mobile Food Carts,
etc.
Copyright City of Chicago 2010
Land and Lakes
Compost – Principle vs. Accessory Use
Allows commercial food scrap composting as
a Class III Recycling Facility operation:
– M3 Zoning; or
– M2 Zoning and Special Use Variance
– Application Fee - $3,000
– Permit Term – 3 Years
– Allows anaerobic digestion technology
Copyright City of Chicago 2010
Exposure - Brownfield Environmental
Protocols
• Historic contamination
across city
• Guidelines, required for
leasing or owning
(via Land Trust) for
City-owned land
• Decision tree
process for ensuring the
site is safe to grow food
Copyright City of Chicago 2010
Brownfield Environmental Protocols
1. Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA)
• Is the land suitable for urban ag use?
• Are there any Recognized Environmental
Conditions (RECs)?
• Historic Paper Study
2. Phase II ESA
• Where is the contamination?
• Will it require remediation or capping?
• Soil and groundwater sampling and analysis
3. IEPAs Site Remediation Program
• Obtain No Further Remediation (NFR) Letter
• Only if land will owned, not leased
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Bottom Line - Minimize
Exposure Pathway to Public
• Create risk-based barriers to
prevent exposures pathways (i.e.
ingestion)
• These barriers typically do not
meet VAP requirements.
However, they prevent accepted
VAP barriers from being
breached.
Concerns Raised on Both Sides
ADVOCATES
• Commercial gardens not allowed in residential zones
• Size and sale restrictions on community gardens
• Prohibition of gardens from accepting off-site
composting materials
RESIDENTS
• May not want to live next to a large commercial garden;
note commercial garden includes hydroponic facilities
and greenhouses
• Many are wary of composting, livestock, foot traffic,
noise, machinery, etc.
Copyright City of Chicago 2010
The Future: The Plant
The Plant is a project combining
adaptive industrial reuse and
aquaponics to create Chicago’s first
vertical farm.
www.plantchicago.com
Copyright City of Chicago 2010
Thank You
Richard M. Daley, Mayor
Zach Clayton
Chicago Department of Environment
Urban Management and
Brownfields Redevelopment
30 N. LaSalle St., Suite 200
Chicago, IL 60602
[email protected]
312.744.3161
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City of Chicago