A.4 Productive Land Zoning District for Urban Agriculture - Text Amendment

• These changes will form arguments that the Historic

Preservation Commission has a duty to pursue energy efficient weatherization in its project approval process because it will conform to its own mandate in Section

One.A.4: “Protecting and enhancing the attractiveness of the City to have buyers, visitors and shoppers and thereby supporting business, commerce, industry, and providing economic benefit to the City...”

• This will also affect Section 4.06.3.F - General

Cross-reference Guide for Additional Regulations,

Nonconforming of the Uptown Oriented Development

Zoning District Ordinance, in which definitions of residential conformity regarding efficient contemporary use will come from the Zoning

Ordinance.

For Section 4.06.8.A.2.b - Minor Remodeling of the Uptown Transit Oriented Development Zoning District Ordinance: a text amendment to include windows, if consistent with the architectural style of the landmarked structure.

• In the UTOD, Minor Remodeling does not require approval from the Historic Preservation Commission, but rehabilitations to landmarked buildings require a Certificate of Appropriateness. Therefore, it will be strongly recommended to the Historic Preservation

Commission to award Certificates of Appropriation by acclamation to “major changes” to landmarked structures, as defined by Section Nine.A.1 of the

Historic Preservation Ordinance, when the sole changes are for weatherization of windows that are consistent with the architectural style of the landmarked home. • In the event a Certificate of Appropriateness is not awarded to a weatherization project of a landmarked home, the homeowner will be encouraged to pursue a Certificate of Economic Hardship from the Historic Preservation Commission to argue that weatherization is consistent with “efficient contemporary use” and an inability to complete retrofits will threaten the longevity of the landmarked property, as mandated by the Commission’s

Statement of Purpose.

A.4 Productive Land Zoning District for Urban

Agriculture Amendment Text: Definitions and Zoning

Urban Agriculture- the growing, processing and distribution of plant and animal products- by and for the local community- within an urban environment.

Community Garden (CG)- An area managed and maintained by a group of individuals to grow and harvest food crops or non-food crops (e.g. flowers) for personal or group consumption, for community beautification, for donation, or for sale that is accessory or subordinate to the garden’s primary purpose as described above in Urban Agriculture. A community garden area may be divided into separate garden plots or orchard areas for cultivation by one or more individuals or may be farmed collectively by members of the group. A community garden may include common areas (e.g., workshop sheds or greenhouses) maintained and used by the group. They are typically owned or managed by public entities, civic organizations or community-based organizations who have relationships with the municipality, and work with them to develop land, and maintained by volunteers/ residents.

• Organizations or individuals running a CG on municipal land will be required to donate any surplus products to the community via Blue Island Park District or other community-serving organizations.

• Organizations or individuals running a CG on municipal land will be required to offer free-of-charge workshops for all ages which can range from topics including urban agriculture, healthy eating, composting, recycling, and renewable energy.

• Organizations or individuals running a CG on municipal land will be required to collaborate with local schools to host school tours annually.

• Organizations or individuals running a CG on municipal land will be required to have at least 66% of its staff be

Blue Island residents.

• Soil Contamination- To avoid health threats associated with contaminated soil, the proposed zoning code rewrite requires that anyone cultivating food for human consumption on a CG must test and, if necessary, remediate the soil in which they are growing, or else use imported soil and an impermeable barrier. The

Blue Island Park District should work to develop comprehensive soil standards.

Specifications:

The CG can be maximum 25,000-square-feet. It is intended to prevent a single community garden from dominating a given block or detracting from the block’s existing residential or commercial character. • The limit does not apply to gardens located in the proposed PL District since it is specified for urban agriculture. There can be more than one community garden that is 25,000 square feet on a single block.

The size limit applies to individual gardens, not to individual blocks.

• Structures (defined below) are permitted by right.

Community garden accessory buildings may be up to 675 square feet in area.

*These specifications are modeled after urban agriculture plot size requirements in Chicago. [1]

Limited Urban Agriculture- Similar to a CG, but need a Special Use permit to allow for built structures. LUA does not have the municipal partnership nor obligations that CGs have. They are smaller operations in which a resident or small organization can harvest food crops or non-food crops (e.g. flowers) for personal or group consumption or for community beautification if they choose to do so. This donation can be arranged through the closest CG.

Specifications:

• No commercial usage of products.

• LUA can have composts, which must be securely fastened and fenced (See below Compost definition for more details). Byproducts from said compost must be used on site.

• Apiaries are prohibited in R-1 and UTOD.

Apiaries- A place in which a colony or colonies of bees are kept.

• Use permitted by right only in the PL Zoning or in a

CG. • Up to five hives or colonies of honey bees may be kept as an accessory use. • Beekeepers must register with the Illinois

Department of Agriculture (IDA).

Farm Stand- A temporary structure, accessory to a CG for the display and sale of, food crops or non-food crops (e.g. flowers) for personal or group consumption, locallyproduced food products and similar non-animal agricultural products grown or produced on the general property of the CG upon which the stand is located.

• This stand will be the meeting point for food pickup, similar to a Community Supported Agriculture scheme (CSA). However, this “CSA” will be specifically for the residents of Blue Island who experience food insecurity/ have little access to obtain fresh produce.

There will be a formalized system set up in which residents registered through public assistance programs such as SNAP will be automatically enrolled through the Farm Stand “CSA” and also can use food stamps to purchase SNAP- eligible crops.

• Require the farm stand to accept SNAP benefits and sell a certain amount of SNAP-eligible crops.

• They also will be given the opportunity to volunteer on city farms for crop discounts and potential job training. • This Farm Stand/ CSA venture will also be donating 40% of their crops to local food pantries, such as

The Salvation Army Crossgenerations Worship &

Community Center.

• The excess crops after the “CSA” and donation rations then can be sold for a profit to community members who do not qualify for public assistance.

Farmers Markets- A pre-designated, municipally owned or operated area, with or without temporary structures, where CGs sell excess harvest food crops or non-food crops (e.g. flowers) for personal or group consumption. Community development and outreach tactic.

Specifications:

• Farmers markets are permitted as an accessory use where located on the same zoning lot as municipal parking lots, religious institutions, educational institutions, schools, outdoor recreation facilities, and non-profit neighborhood centers.

• Sale of farm products grown or produced at CGs is allowed as an accessory use at a farm stand located on the property of the CGs from which the farm product is grown or produced. Sale of farm products grown or produced at CGs is also allowed at the proposed farmers market location at the corner of

Broadway St. and Chatham St., which is across from the Portland Playlot and Lincoln Elementary School.

• This location was selected due to its proximity to the recreational facilities of the Cal-Sag Channel and the Chatham Street Bridge and the Division Street

Bridge.

• Also, there is historical precedence because of the 1915 farmers market which was located nearby on

Broadway St. and S. Western Ave.

Structures:

Rainwater Catchment System- A method of catching rainwater runoff from the roof of a structure into rain gutters that channel into a rain barrel, drum, or cistern.

Hoophouse- An unheated structure whose roof and sides are made largely of transparent or translucent material (not glass) for the purpose of the cultivation of plants.

Shed- a simple roofed structure, typically made of wood or metal, used as a storage space, a shelter, or a workshop.

Greenhouse- A building or structure whose roof and sides are made largely of glass or other transparent or translucent material and in which the temperature and humidity can be regulated for the cultivation of plants A greenhouse may or may not be a permanent structure.

Raised Bed- Raised bed gardening is a form of gardening in which the soil is formed in beds, which can be of any length or shape, but are usually about 3-4 feet wide. The soil is raised above the ground and is usually enclosed by a frame made of wood, rock, or concrete blocks, and may be enriched with compost.

• They will be predominantly used if the soil is poor or if we are building on hardscape. Compost- the natural degradation or controlled biological decomposition of organic waste material, such as yard and food waste, to yield a nuisance-free humus-like product. The proposed zoning code rewrite allows on-site composting at LUAs and CGs within any zone.

• Under the proposed code, composing on-site is allowed as an accessory use, so long as any compost pile is located at least 3 feet away from any lot line and composting areas and structures are maintained in a way that protects adjacent properties from nuisance odors and the attraction of rodents or other pests.

• Organic waste material for composting may also be accepted from outside sources only on municipally- owned CG land, not in LUA.

• For private residences, composting is considered a permitted encroachment in yards. Specifically, a compost pile is allowed as a permitted encroachment only in a rear yard (not a front, corner, side, or interior side yard) and must be contained within a bin. It must also be at least 3 feet from any lot line.

• Composting specifically excluding bones, meat; fat, grease, oil, raw manure, and milk products.

• The amount of compost material cannot exceed 15 cubic yards in LUA in zones R-1 and UTOD, and 30 cubic yards in CG zoned in PL, at any given time. CGs that fall into the R-1 and UTOD can apply for a Special

Use for the largest compost capacity.