Photo Credit: Sam Hodgson
By Adrian Florido
The San Diego City Council has made it much easier to start community gardens — once banned or too expensive to permit — on most vacant land citywide.
The council voted unanimously Tuesday to support removing costly permitting requirements and zoning restrictions on gardens. Now, San Diegans will be allowed to start community gardens on any piece of vacant commercial or residential land citywide, with the exception of land in coastal communities where the the California Coastal Commission still has to approve the city’s new law.
Residents or nonprofits will not need a permit to start a community garden. They’ll only have to follow certain rules like including a sign with the garden’s name and its leader’s contact information and have areas for storing equipment and trash. Farmers will have to pay for their water use, but will be allowed to sell their produce on site.
Related Coverage
 |
Red Tape Turns a Green Farm Into an Eyesore
A group of Cambodian refugees used to run a farm on this property in southeastern San Diego. They were evicted after nearly three decades from the city-owned land. The farm has since fallen into disrepair.