Table of Contents

Creative Placemaking

The city’s purchases and contracts code establishes a public art program to promote the experience of art in public spaces. The program promotes city identity, increases access to art in public spaces, and involves residents in providing public art (§186.01).  Certain projects, such as new buildings, renovations, park or plaza developments, and underground facilities dedicate 1.5% of the total project cost to public art (§186.03).

Food Systems | Food trucks

The city’s health code permits mobile food shops in the public way and on private property, providing information on licensing, permits, and fees (§241-36), location restrictions (§241.37), and regulations related to noise, waste, signage, health and safety standards, insurance (§241.38), as well as penalties (§241.99). 

Urban Agriculture

The city's zoning code addresses urban agriculture. It was amended in 2007 to establish an "urban garden district" (Chapter 336). Urban agriculture uses are restricted to community gardens and market gardens and the code allows accessory structures such as greenhouses and hoop houses, signs, tool sheds, and other related community or gardening/farming structures.

Standards address setbacks, building height and coverage maximums, parking and walkways, signs, seasonal farm standards, and fences.

Urban Livestock

The city's zoning code establishes regulations for the keeping of farm animals and bees (§347.02.b). In residential districts, it limits chickens, rabbits, and similar animals to 1 per 800 SF (i.e., 6 animals per standard 4,800 SF residential lot). The code addresses coop/cage setbacks and requirements, enclosures and fences, and prohibits roosters, geese, or turkeys except on larger lots.

The code also addresses the keeping of goats, pigs, sheep, and similar animals (§347.02.c). Two such animals may be kept on residential parcels of at least 24,000 SF in rear yards with appropriate setbacks, with 1 additional animal per additional 2,400 SF; in nonresidential districts, 2 such animals may be kept on parcels of at least 14,400 SF, with 1 additional animal per 1,200 SF.

The code also addresses the keeping of bees in residential districts (§347.02.d). 1 hive is permitted per 2,400 SF, the minimum lot size for this use. The code addresses location and setbacks, flyway barriers, and water sources.

The code also allows for the keeping of farm animals on lots without residences with written documentation to the Director of Public Health, and allows for the slaughtering of small animals onsite for consumption by occupants of the premises.

Wind Energy

The city’s zoning code regulates ground- and building-mounted wind energy facilities. It permits wind turbines as either principal or accessory uses by right in all zoning districts, subject to use-specific and district standards (§354A.04(a)). It requires a discretionary use permit for turbines that exceed height limits (§354A.03(b)). It includes lighting, design, sign, noise, notification, maintenance, and decommissioning standards.

It provides different setback and height standards for ground-mounted and building-mounted turbines (§354A.04(b)). In general, ground-mounted turbines must be set back 1.1 times the turbine height from all property lines. The setback distance increases in residential districts.

Building-mounted turbine height may exceed district height standards, but exceedance of the allowed height requires discretionary review (§354A.04(b)).