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Urban Agriculture Rezoning


Neighborhood:	Citywide
Type:	Policy Planning
Status:	In Process
Project Manager:	Tad Read/Marie Mercurio
Phone Number:	(617)918-4264/ (617)918-4352
Email Address:	John.Read.BRA@cityofboston.gov Marie.Mercurio.BRA@cityofboston.gov
Last Updated:	5/21/2013

Draft Zoning (Article 89) for Urban Agriculture Available Now for Review

Through an open public process with the Mayor's Urban Agriculture Working Group, the BRA has drafted a new section of the Zoning Code, Article 89, to address the growing interest in Urban Agriculture. To view and download a copy of Draft Article 89, scroll down to "Publications" below.

To create clear guidance, Article 89 addresses these key elements of urban agriculture:

o Commercial Farms, both Ground Level and Rooftop

o Farmers Markets and Farm Stands

o Aquaculture, Hydroponics and Aquaponics

o Farms Composting

o Farm Soil Safety

o Conditions for the backyard keeping of hens and bees

Neighborhood Meetings Scheduled for June and July, 2013

The Mayor's Office of Food Initiatives and the BRA will be hosting a series of 11 neighborhood meetings to present Draft Article 89 Urban Agriculture and hear feedback from the neighborhoods. We are coming to your neighborhood! To see the schedule, scroll down to "Publications" below.

Background

Mayor Thomas M. Menino and the City of Boston want to establish an environment in which all of our citizens--particularly the most underserved--have direct access to locally produced fresh food, the ability to produce food for themselves, and access to education and knowledge about healthy eating.

Objectives for the Mayor�s Urban Agriculture Initiative include :

1. Increase access to affordable and healthy food, particularly for underserved communities.

2. Promote economic opportunity and greater self-sufficiency for people in need, including increasing the capacity of Boston residents and business and grow and distribute local and healthy food;

3. Increase education and knowledge around healthy eating and food production, particularly among youth.

4. Increase partnerships with, and/or between, local and regional food producers

5. Increase healthy food supplies to local schools, organizations, institutions and corner stores.

The BRA�s Urban Agriculture Rezoning Initiative is one of a number of City initiatives designed to support these objectives. The Urban Agriculture Rezoning Initiative is being rolled out in two phases.

Phase I: The Pilot Urban Agriculture Rezoning Project

The Pilot Urban Agriculture Rezoning Project was initiated in the fall of 2010. A collaborative effort between the Mayor�s Office, the Department of Neighborhood Development (DND), and the BRA, the Pilot Urban Agriculture Rezoning Project involved the creation of an Urban Agriculture Overlay District on two city-owned properties in South Dorchester and the issuance of a Request for Proposal (RFP) to identify prospective farmers. Extensive community participation including five community meetings and regular dialogue with community leaders was involved in the rezoning process, RFP process, and selection of the farmers. Presentations from three of these meetings can be viewed under �Publications� below.

The outcome of Phase I is the establishment of two farms, one being operated by a private operator, City Growers, and another being operated by the nonprofit organization, Victory Programs. Both farms planted their first crops in spring, 2011.

Phase II: Citywide Rezoning Initiative

Phase II, launched in January 2012, has involved a far more comprehensive undertaking to amend the City of Boston's Zoning Code to include and support a spectrum of urban agricultural activities across the city. Draft Article 89 is the proposed zoning article for urban agriculture and can be viewed under �Publications� below.

The development of Draft Article 89 was made possible through the exploration of the six research modules below which were studied and discussed in depth throughout 2012 via public Working Group monthly meetings:

1. Soil safety, pesticides and fertilizers, & composting

2. Growing of produce & accessory structures

3. Rooftop & vertical agriculture

4. Hydroponics and aquaculture

5. Keeping of animals and bees

6. Farmers markets, winter markets, farm stands and sales

Mayor�s Urban Agriculture Working Group

In summer 2010, Mayor Menino appointed a group of farming advocates, experts and interested citizens to the Mayor�s Urban Agriculture Working Group. The Working Group met monthly from February 2012 through May 2013. All meetings were open to the public. The purpose of the Working Group was to advise and guide staff of the BRA and Mayor�s Office on urban agriculture zoning recommendations which were translated into zoning language for Draft Article 89.

Soil Safety Protocol

The Boston Public Health Commission has developed Soil Safety Protocol for Urban Farms. A copy of these can be found below under "Publications".

Public Process and Schedule

Now that Mayor's Working Group has completed its work on Draft Article 89, the BRA is going out to Boston neighborhoods to present and discuss the proposed zoning. A list of neighborhood meetings is provided near the top of the list under "Publications" below. Following the neighborhoods meetings, there will be formal hearings before the BRA Board and Zoning Commission in fall 2013.

If you would like to be on our email notification list, please email us.

You can also check the �Events� Calendar on the BRA website at "http://www.bostonredevelopmentauthority.org/Home.aspx" for scheduled meetings.

For questions about rezoning, please contact:

Tad Read, Senior Planner
Boston Redevelopment Authority
One City Hall Square, 9th Floor
Boston, MA 02201
Phone: (617) 918-4264
E-mail: john.read.BRA@cityofboston.gov

OR Marie Mercurio, AICP, Senior Planner
Boston Redevelopment Authority
One City Hall Square, 9th Floor
Boston, MA 02201
Phone: (617) 918-4352 E-mail: marie.mercurio.BRA@cityofboston.gov