Growing in City Engagement e - Victoria, British Columbiain... · • Pollinator gardens and hobby beekeeping • Permaculture projects • Fruit and nut trees • Demonstration farming

Project Timeline

We’re getting growing in the City of Victoria!

The “Growing in the City” initiative is all about:

• Enhancing our local food systems.

• Finding more spaces to grow food, on public and private land.

• Finding ways to encourage small-scale commercial urban farming.

• Working together to build the skills, knowledge and resources needed to grow more food in our beautiful and already delicious City.

EngageJuly 2015

EngageFall 2015

ReviewSummer 2015

RefineWinter 2016

IntroduceSpring 2016

EducateSpring/Summer 2016

The “Growing in the City” initiative will result in:• An updated Community Gardens Policy for public and

private land, including guidelines for fruit and nut trees on City-owned lands,

• Voluntary guidelines for food production in multi-unit, mixed use developments and other types of land,

• Recommendations for regulation changes to encourage small-scale commercial farming,

• A final set of Boulevard Gardening Guidelines,

• An inventory of City-owned land for food production.

victoria.ca/GrowingInTheCity

What We HeardThis summer over 1,000 Victoria residents shared ideas about how to get more food growing in our beautiful city. This is what we heard:

A high level of support for increasing opportunities for food production in the City, including:

• 98% support for increasing the number of community orchards;

• 94% support for increasing the number of boulevard gardens;

• 91% support for increasing the number of community gardens; and,

• 87% support for having small scale commercial urban agriculture in their neighbourhood.

The top priorities for increasing food production in the City of Victoria were ranked in the following order:

• Everyone has access to healthy, affordable food

• Easy to find places to buy locally grown food

• Utilize vacant lots for growing food

• Educate and involve the community in food growing and harvesting

• Food growing on spaces on public land are open and accessible to all

• Every neighbourhood has a place for community food growing and harvesting

• Aesthetics/tidiness


The full engagement report is available at victoria.ca/growinginthecity


1. Expanding our definition of ‘Community Garden’WHY? We heard that the way we currently define ‘community gardens’ is not inclusive enough of all types of gardening, including maintaining native and cultural landscapes. Here’s how we’re thinking of revising it.

Community gardening includes, but is not limited to:

• Growing food, flowers, edible berries and food perennials

• Indigenous, cultural and native plants for harvesting

• Pollinator gardens and hobby beekeeping

• Permaculture projects

• Fruit and nut trees

• Demonstration farming

• Edible landscaping

• Support for increasing the number of community gardens, especially allotment-style gardens (plots rented, grown and harvested by individual member gardeners).

• Mixed support for locating allotment-style gardens in City parks, with some viewing this as privatization of a public amenity.

• A desire to encourage allotment gardens on a variety of land types, including schoolyards, rooftops, and vacant private lands.

• A need for increased resource support (materials, cost, public facilitation, volunteer labour).

• A desire to increase the number of food bearing trees in the City of Victoria.

Potential ChangesWhat We Heard

Let us know what you think

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Community Gardens and Fruit Trees on Public LandsTOPIC

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5. More staff support for new Community Garden projectsWHY? We heard that community garden groups need more help getting their projects off the ground. With the addition of a new Food Systems Coordinator to our staff team, these are the new ways we’re thinking of supporting community garden development:

• Helping groups find suitable land for new projects, including reviewing City-owned land, and assisting to make connections between community groups, land owners and other potential partners.

• Introducing a new ‘Expression of Interest’ application process with one annual intake period. This will help the City set priority projects each year, expedite the process of having garden projects approved and better align with the City’s annual grant deadlines.

• Working with successful applicants to complete official project proposals.

• Helping to conduct public consultation for new garden sites on City-owned land.



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Potential Changes


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Plant and maintain a couple of food trees in a park (5 or less)

Read the City of Victoria’s ‘Urban Food Tree Steward Program’ factsheet

Partner with your local neighbourhood association, and ask your neighbours if they are supportive

Submit a Food Tree Steward Application to the City of Victoria

If approved, purchase and plant the tree(s)

Water, prune, mulch and harvest!

The City will help connect you with potential partners, if possible

Yes! I know the perfect spot!

Revise plan if required

Start a Community Orchard (6 or more trees)

Start an Allotment Garden Start a Common Garden

Read the City’ of Victoria’s “Community Garden Policy”

Find a team! Community gardens require a dedicated team of volunteers, and partnership with a non-profit organization

Do you have a site in mind already?

Not yet....

On land owned by the City

Submit an Expression of Interest to the City (one annual intake period)

The City will help you prepare a formal proposal, including public consulation to make sure your project has public support

City staff will present your proposal to Council for approval, if required, and sign a license agreement

Build your new garden!

On land not owned by the City

Approach land-owner and reach agreement

Build your new garden!

You want to…

6. A simpler, more streamlined application system for new projectsWHY? We heard that the City’s current process for approving new community gardens takes too long, and is confusing. Here’s how we’re thinking of improving it:


2. Making allotment garden plots available to all Victoria residents, regardless of neighbourhoodWHY? Some neighbourhoods have more space available for community gardens than others. Dense neighbourhoods like downtown have limited access to new locations for gardens.

In the current policy, the decision to restrict garden membership by neighbourhood is made by the operating non-profit society.

This new provision will remove the ability for new community gardens to restrict membership by neighbourhood, making it possible for all residents of Victoria to gain equal access to garden plots.


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Potential Changes

3. Testing out a new program for small urban food tree projectsWHY? We heard that people want to expand the number of fruit and nut trees planted in parks around the City. This new program could enable residents, through their local neighbourhood association, to plant and maintain small groupings (five or fewer) of fruit and/or nut trees in their neighbourhood park as a ‘Food Tree Steward’. Food Tree Stewards would be responsible for:

• Purchasing and planting the trees.

• Daily maintenance during fruit producing months, and at least weekly maintenance during the off-months.

• Watering, pruning, mulching and ensuring that no fallen fruit is left on the ground.

• Maintaining the trees at no cost to the City of Victoria.

4. Adding Community Orchards as a type of Community GardenWHY? We heard that the two pilot community orchards that were installed in 2012 have been successful, and that people would like to have more orchards in the City. This recommendation will allow community groups to create orchard projects through the Community Garden Policy.


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Potential Changes


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1. Garden Upkeep and RemovalWHY? We heard that a way to deal with boulevard gardens that had been abandoned was important to you. This new clause would give the City the ability to require homeowners to tidy up their gardens, or return them back to grass, if we receive numerous complaints or think a garden is posing a safety hazard. Here’s how we think the process could work:

• Interim Boulevard Gardening Guidelines introduced last year have been working well.

• Most residents think that boulevard gardens are making a positive impact on their neighbourhood, including building character, encouraging positive social interactions, providing more space to garden, and making sidewalks more interesting to walk down.

• In general, residents had few concerns about boulevard gardens.

• Maintenance and garden turn-over was the major concern.

Potential ChangesWhat We Heard


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Boulevard Gardening GuidelinesTOPIC

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Complaint filed with City Bylaw Services(homeowner is notified)

City notifies homeowner in writing if three or more complaints are received, or if the

garden is posing a safety hazard

Homeowner has 30 days to remedy the situation

After 30 days, the City will remove the boulevard garden, at the cost of the homeowner.

Small-Scale Commercial Urban Farming

• A majority of survey respondents support:

• small-scale commercial urban farming in their neighbourhood

• growers being allowed to sell their produce on-site, with no restrictions.

• Small-scale commercial urban farming currently takes place on vacant residential-zoned lots, rooftops in commercial areas, and in residential yards.

• In the future, growers would also like to locate on a bigger range of residential sites, school and church properties, commercial areas and rooftops in industrial zones.

• Growers identified a number of barriers to expanding urban farming in the City, including:

• Small-scale commercial urban farming is not recognized as a use in zoning

• Limitations on where small-scale urban farming is permitted

• Height and area restrictions on rooftop greenhouses

• Restrictions on farm stands and on-site sales of produce

• Development permit requirements for landscaping

What We Heard

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Potential changes might increase economic opportunities related to the production and sale of locally grown foods; improve public health and well-being; and promote community building.

Small-Scale Commercial Urban FarmingTOPIC

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1. Include small-scale commercial urban farming in the zoning bylaw

WHY? We heard that it would be helpful if small-scale commercial urban farming was recognized as a use in the City’s zoning bylaw. We also heard that small-scale commercial urban farming includes a variety of activities beyond simply the growing of fruits and vegetables. Here are features we are considering with respect to small-scale commercial urban farming:

• The cultivation or raising of fruits, vegetables, flowers, fiber, nuts, seeds, seedlings, herbs, eggs and honey for sale. Excludes products regulated by the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (e.g. medical marijuana).

• Permitted activities: cultivation, raising, harvesting, processing, packaging, storing, selling and delivery of products cultivated on-site; the composting of waste for on-site use; and the delivery of educational and volunteer programs.

• Takes place on the ground, rooftops or in greenhouses.

Let us know what you think of these ideas

Potential Changes


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Potential Changes

2. Allow small-scale commercial urban farming as a permitted use in all land use zones in the City

WHY? The proposed changes would increase the range of potential sites for small-scale commercial urban farming. Currently, small-scale commercial urban farming is limited to industrial zones and to residential zones where the farmer lives on-site. However, these limits do not reflect the realities of small-scale commercial urban farming, as growers would prefer to avoid the risk of soil contamination in industrial areas, and many growers do not live where they farm.

Small-scale commercial urban farming is generally small in size and low-impact. Impacts on neighbours can be further minimized through conditions on deliveries, noise, odour and property maintenance.

These are the types of regulations we are considering for small-scale urban farming:

• Small-scale commercial urban farming allowed in all zones in the city (residential, commercial, industrial and mixed use)

• Multiple employees/volunteers permitted to work on-site

• Business licence required

• Composting for on-site use only

• One off-site delivery allowed per day

• No additional parking required

• Must adhere to Sign Bylaw, Property Maintenance Bylaw and regulations related to odour and noise.



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Potential Changes

3. Allow small farm stands in all land-use zones

WHY? We heard that many people support growers being able to sell their produce on-site, with no restrictions. Small farm stands can provide easy access to healthy, fresh food right in the neighbourhood, as well as to household economic opportunities. The small size of the farm stands would ensure only a small amount of produce could be sold, and lessen the impacts on surrounding neighbours and businesses.

Tell us what you think about allowing farm stands, with certain conditions:

• Farm stand up to 20 feet2 (6 m2) allowed in front yards in all zones (residential, commercial, industrial)

• Allowed in front yard only, set back at least 2 feet (0.6 m) from the lot line

• Stand may be covered, and partially enclosed

• Seasonal or year-round business licence required

• No building permit required

• No development permit required (if applicable)

• Products must be grown on-site

• Sales of raw products only, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, eggs and honey. No crafts, baked or canned goods.

• Stand must be stored out of front yard when not in use for more than 5 days

• Hours limited from 7 am – 8 pm

• One small sign allowed

• Maximum one farm stand per property

• Where the zone already allows retail sales, these regulations do not apply


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Potential Changes

4. Exempt rooftop greenhouses from height calculations and floor space ratio calculations

WHY? Small-scale greenhouses on industrial, commercial, institutional and higher density residential buildings can enable year-round local food production and provide valuable educational opportunities within a dense urban environment. Limitations on floor area or building height have constrained opportunities for these facilities.

This is how we are thinking of changing the regulations:

• Allow a small-scale rooftop greenhouse to be exempt from floor area and height calculation, provided it is not on top of a low-density residential building, like a single family dwelling or duplex

• Small-scale rooftop greenhouses must not exceed 15 feet (4.5 m) in height

• The total area of small-scale rooftop greenhouses must not cover more than 330 feet2 (100 m2)

• A building permit and development permit (where applicable) would be required



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Potential Changes

5. Exempt small-scale commercial urban farms from requiring a development permit for landscaping

WHY? In some special parts of the City, a development permit is required for new or changed landscaping on the property, to give staff and/or City Council more oversight of the design. The time and cost involved in obtaining a development permit may be a barrier for a small-scale urban farm. The nature of urban farming also means that the landscaping can look very different from one season to the next.

• As with all small-scale commercial urban farms, the Property Maintenance Bylaw would still apply in these areas.


Documents

Growing in City Engagement e - Victoria, British Columbiain... · • Pollinator gardens and hobby beekeeping • Permaculture projects • Fruit and nut trees • Demonstration farming