Planning Initiatives

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 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, was initiated in fall 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—November 16, 2010, March 29, 2011 and April 14, 2011—can be viewed under “Publications” below (the same presentation used for the November 16 meeting was used in the December 2010 and January 2011 community meetings).

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

Phase II, being launched this winter (2011/2012), involves a far more comprehensive undertaking to amend the City's Zoning Code to support a spectrum of urban agricultural activities across the city of Boston.

Phase II: Citywide Rezoning Initiative

The Citywide rezoning initiative is exploring a range of ways in which the City's Zoning Code can be amended to facilitate different types of urban agriculture. It is envisioned that a new chapter will be created to address urban agriculture, similar to Chapter 37, Wind Energy Facilities (Adopted February 2009).

Among the forms of urban agriculture that are being explored are:

• Soil safety, pesticides & composting • Growing of produce; greenhouses, hoophouses & other structures • Rooftop agriculture • Aquaponics and aquaculture • Keeping of animals and bees • Farmers Markets, farm stands and sales Additional farming issues and activities will likely be identified through the public participation process.

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 meets monthly on the first Thursday of each month at 8:00AM in the BRA Board Room, City Hall, 9th Floor. All meetings are open to the public. The purpose of the Working Group is to advise and guide staff of the BRA and Mayor’s Office as urban agriculture zoning recommendations are being developed.

The Mayor’s Office and BRA began the planning process with a Kickoff and Visioning Meeting on January 30, 2012 at Suffolk University. Following the Kickoff and Visioning meeting, Staff is meeting regularly with the Urban Agriculture Working Group to formulate and refine draft zoning recommendations. The last meeting of the Mayor's Urban Agriculture Working Group took place on February 2nd. The agenda for this meeting is posted below under "Publications". Notes from this meeting are posted under "Publications" below.

The next meeting of the Mayor's Urban Agriculture Working Group will take place on Thursday, March 1st at 8:00 a.m. in City Hall, 9th Floor, BRA Board Room. The agenda for this meeting will be posted below approximately one week before the meeting.

Once a set of draft zoning recommendations is developed by Fall 2012, a series of neighborhood meetings will be held to vet the recommendations by Boston’s many neighborhoods.

Check the “Events” Calendar on the BRA website at http://www.bostonredevelopmentauthority.org/Home.aspx for scheduled meetings.

Public Process and Schedule

BRA staff is working closely with the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Services (ONS) in conducting community outreach. Based on feedback from neighborhood meetings, recommendations will be revised and finalized into a separate zoning article, at which time they will be presented to the BRA Board then Zoning Commission for final approval.

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

1. February 2, 2012 Working Group Meeting Notes
   
2. Agenda for March 1, 2012 Mayor’s Urban Agriculture Working Group Meeting
   
3. ALL Public Comments from January 30, 2012 Kickoff Meeting
   
4. SUMMARY of Public Comments from January 30, 2012 Kickoff Meeting
   
5. Memorandum for March 1, 212 Mayor’s Urban Agriculture Working Group Meeting
   
6. Staff Presentation from January 30th 2012 Kickoff and Visioning Meeting
   
7. Memorandum for February 2, 212 Mayor’s Urban Agriculture Working Group Meeting
   
8. Agenda for February 2, 2012 Mayor’s Urban Agriculture Working Group Meeting
   
9. Pilot Urban Agriculture Project Fact Sheet and FAQ
   
10. Urban Agriculture Draft Overlay District Amendment 2.10.2011
    
11. Urban Agriculture Powerpoint Presentation from Neighborhood Meeting at Prayer Tower Apostalic Church 12.01.2010
    
12. DND Proposed Urban Agriculture Parcels 11.2010.JPG
    
13. PowerPoint Presentation from 11.16.10 Dorchester Neighborhood Meeting
    
14. Local Food Production & Distribution Map, Boston, 2010
    
15. FINAL Powerpoint Presentation for March 29, 2011 Community Meeting 3.29
    
16. Powerpoint Presentation for April 14, 2011 Community Meeting