Tampa City Council Keeps Startup Costs Low for Community Gardens

Many city dwellers plant vegetable gardens because they want to feed their families less expensive, healthier food. Some families choose to garden collectively so they can enjoy organic produce and lessen their impact on the environment — that's community gardening.

But one of the main benefits of community gardens — saving money — was nearly eliminated in Tampa by a recent ordinance designed to protect neighboring homeowners. It requires gardening groups to apply for a special use permit.

However, applying for a special use permit is a complicated process and requires a public hearing that can involve land surveys or aerial photographs — costs borne by the applicant. The city charges $2,015 to process the application, with no guarantee of approval.

That price ticket alone would have killed off most community garden projects.

In response, members of the have appeared in numbers at City Council meetings over the past few months, urging city leaders to approve an amendment to the ordinance that would lower the fee to about $200 — a figure city staff have said is a truer reflection of an administrative review of applications for community gardens.

At Thursday's City Council meeting, District 2 Councilwoman Mary Mulhern made a motion to accept the proposed amendment to require an administrative review for community gardens instead of a public hearing. The amendment passed unanimously.

SHCG organizer Robin Milcowitz was pleased by the vote.

"As a founder of a community garden, I am very pleased to see that our City Council has taken advantage of this opportunity to support the idea that community gardens are a benefit to our community," she said. "As a member of a community garden, I am elated and reveling in the idea that community gardens will be able to flourish and have the chance to reach so many more people that do not yet know how wonderful they can be."