Increasing community farms and gardens in San Diego

How we got here? In April 2007 the International Rescue Committee set out to create a community garden on 2.3 acres of City owned land. There were 6 other gardens in the City, but none of them had permits (as per the City’s Municipal Code). When the IRC began to apply for their permit, they found that the level of scrutiny—and $$$ commitment—was excessive and prohibitive to the creation of more gardens. First community meeting in the vacant lot at 54 th and Chollas Pkwy

How does the application process currently work? According to the City’s municipal code, community gardens are a “conditional use” in most zones and require a Neighborhood Use Permit and a Level 2 review process. (Municipal Code § ) Similarly regulated uses include: Agricultural Equipment Repair Shops, Commercial Stables, Equestrian Show & Exhibition Facilities (Table B Use Regulations Table of Agricultural Zones) A $2,500 deposit is required as are certified designs, detailed site management plans and public noticing. The proposal is reviewed by the Development Services Department—a cost recoverable department.

Process Continued… Gardens adjacent to or including “sensitive habitat” (such as creeks or canyons) require a Site Development Permit and a Level 3 review process. This is what ultimately drove the IRC permit to more than $46,000. Our advocacy work is focused only on the NUP process because we believe that additional review and discussion is needed when dealing with sensitive lands. Since the IRC applied for their SDP, an existing garden applied for an NUP on non-sensitive land and it cost more than $7,000 to obtain. Chollas Creek, adjacent to New Roots

CE-L 3. Encourage agricultural operations such as community farms and gardens (especially on City-leased lands) to provide for educational experiences which demonstrate the history, importance and value of agricultural operations. 5a. Encourage sustainable agricultural and water quality best management practices such as tillage…and organic farming on all private land. b. Encourage sustainable agricultural operations, especially on City-leased lands, to offer more sustainable, local food choices. This is inconsistent with the San Diego General Plan which says to…

San Diego General Plan RE-A.6. a.“Identify underutilized City lands with potential for use as mini- parks, pocket parks, plazas and community gardens.” b. “Encourage community participation in the development of and maintenance of City-owned mini parks, pocket parks, plazas and community gardens.” RE-E. 7. Design public facilities…to incorporate recreational elements such as…parks, greenbelts, community gardens, and other recreation facilities. 8. Pursue partnerships and agreements with public agencies and not-for-profit entities to provide additional recreation space within the City such as parks, greenbelts, community gardens, and other recreation facilities.

Our Advocacy to date… To address these issues, a group of more than 50 advocates brought the issue to the Land Use and Housing Subcommittee (LU&H)of City Council in January The subcommittee unanimously directed Development Services to “streamline the process”. In a memo to LU&H, DSD outlines their recommendation to keep the community garden permitting process at the NUP level. (April 3, 2009 Kelly Broughten, DSD Director) DSD also states in the memo that they will: –Prepare a Community Garden Bulletin –Limit the number of reviewers –Recommend that Council Districts to help offset the costs

Addressing DSD’s approach: We believe that this does not adequately “streamline the process” because: –It is still very expensive –There is no real incentive for a cost recoverable department to move swiftly –It is not time bound –Requires complex public noticing And, most importantly, it does not meet the goals outlined in the City’s General Plan

Where do we want to be? The NUP process is not the appropriate venue for vetting community gardens. Instead, we believe that the Municipal Code, which outlines rules and regulations for community gardens, adequately protects neighbors from unsightly, mismanaged projects. Therefore, We recommend that the community garden permit should be reduced to a “ministerial” Level 1 permit.

This is consistent with approaches in dozens of other U.S. cities: # of city-supported gardens in New York: 600 # of proposed gardens in San Francisco’s General Plan: 100 # of city-run community gardens in Seattle: 32 # of land trust gardens in Philadelphia: 29 # of gardens in San Diego: 6 # of permitted gardens in San Diego: 2

Our urban communities are extremely park deficient which negatively impacts individual health. A community farm or garden can be developed at a 1:4 cost ratio to traditional parks. (Hynes, USDA Cooperative Extension, 1996)

\ A 600 sq. ft. community garden plot can produce $500 worth of produce each season. For a family of 6 on a food stamp budget, that represents a 40% increase in food resources. (Patel, Rutgers University, 1991)

A garden raises neighborhood property values by nearly 10% within 5 years of the garden’s opening and the net affect is greater in low income neighborhoods. (Real Estate Economics, Vol. 36, Issue 2, pp , Summer 2008)

We are ready to create more gardens, but the permitting process is holding us up! New Roots Community Farm, July 2009

We need your support! Will you join the chorus of voices asking for a truly simplified community garden

Contact info: Food Security and Community Health International Rescue Committee Ellee Igoe x234 Amy Lint x244 Deqa Sayid x278