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CITY OF MUSKEGON PLANNING COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING DATE OF MEETING: Thursday, September 11, 2014 TIME OF MEETING: 4:00 p.m. PLACE OF MEETING: Commission Chambers, First Floor, Muskegon City Hall AGENDA I. Roll Call II. Approval of Minutes from the regular meeting of July 10, 2014. III. Public Hearings A. Hearing, Case 2014-11: Staff-initiated request to amend Section 2313 (Community Gardens) of the Zoning Ordinance to replace it with an Urban Farming ordinance. IV. New Business V. Old Business VI. Other VII. Adjourn AMERICAN DISABILITY ACT POLICY FOR ACCESS TO OPEN MEETING OF THE CITY COMMISSION AND ANY OF ITS COMMITTEES OR SUBCOMMITTEES The City of Muskegon will provide necessary reasonable auxiliary aids and services, such as signers for the hearing impaired and audio tapes of printed materials being considered at the meeting, to individuals with disabilities who want to attend the meeting, upon twenty-four hour notice to the City of Muskegon. Individuals with disabilities requiring auxiliary aids or services should contact the City of Muskegon by writing or calling the following: Ann Marie Cummings, City Clerk 933 Terrace Street Muskegon, MI 49440 (231) 724-6705 TTY/TDD: Dial 7-1-1 and request that a representative dial 231-724-6705 CITY OF MUSKEGON PLANNING COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING September 11, 2014 Hearing, Case 2014-11: Staff-initiated request to amend Section 2313 (Community Gardens) of the zoning ordinance to replace it with an urban farming ordinance. STAFF OBSERVATIONS 1. There are some community garden organizations in the community are who working with schools and other non-profit organizations to donate/sell vegetables for their lunch programs. The current community gardens ordinance does not allow for the sale/donation of crops. This new ordinance will better define what can be sold/donated. 2. The new ordinance better defines what types of structures are allowed on site and defines the setback requirements. 3. The Planning Commission is being asked to recommend one of the two versions to the City Commission for adoption. One version will allow commercial sales and one version will prohibit commercial sales. The version that does not allow commercial sales would still allow urban farms to accept donations from individuals or other non-profit organizations as long as they are used to further sustain the operation and support of the mission of the urban farm. 4. There will be a presentation by city attorney Michelle Landis at the Planning Commission meeting to go over the details of the Michigan Right to Farm Act, GAAMPs and all other aspects of that may come into play under our new ordinance. 5. Enclosed in the packet are the current Community Gardens ordinance and two versions of the proposed Community Gardens, Urban Farms and Private Farms ordinance (one allowing commercial sales and one prohibiting commercial sales). MOTION FOR CONSIDERATION I move that the amendment to Section 2313 of the Zoning Ordinance, which (includes OR excludes) commercial sales, be recommended to City Commission for (approval/denial). 2