City of Nelson Zoning Bylaw No. 3199, 2013

Supplementary Information

Municipal Planner Interview with the City of Nelson Re: Zoning for Community Gardens and Food Storage

Nelson’s 2013 OCP and Zoning Bylaw update included accommodations to increase food storage and distribution in the City and permit community gardens in all zones.

Policy Development and Community Consultation

The OCP and zoning bylaw updates in 2013 were informed by Nelson’s Sustainability Plan (“Nelson Path to 2040”, 2011), which identified food security and agriculture as a focal area for future planning and development. This precedent in a high-level planning document facilitated the inclusion of food security/agricultural goals and policies within the OCP and Zoning Bylaw, including increased land use accommodations for warehousing and permitting community gardens throughout the City.

Both the OCP and the zoning bylaw included public engagement components in the form of open houses. At these forums, members of the public were invited to review and comment on the proposed bylaw and plan changes. The proposed changes to these policies were supported throughout the community consultation process.

Policy Adoption

The adoption of these particular zoning bylaw amendments resulted from discussions of how the City of Nelson can best support local food security. Recognizing the importance of agriculture and food production in the region, and the limited land base available within the City to support food production, Nelson adopted policies within its OCP and zoning bylaw to allow community gardens in all zones as well as support the storage and distribution of food from the surrounding agricultural region.

Policy Outcomes and Recommendations

Since the policies were adopted, one community garden has been established in a residential area of Nelson. The community garden project, proposed by a local food charity called the Nelson Food Cupboard, provides fresh produce and skills training to community members.

Now that the changes allowing warehousing and commercial storage in the City have been put in place, the City of Nelson aspires to play a more significant role as a distribution hub for the region’s agricultural sector.  With these provisions in the City’s zoning bylaw, and a food policy council currently being formed in the region, Nelson is anticipating identifying and enhancing its role in the regional food system.

References

City of Nelson, Development Services and Engineering, personal communication, October 2016