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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).
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