Last week, the Planning and Zoning Committee held their second hearing on our proposed Urban Agriculture codes for the City of Kansas City, MO. They looked at two different proposed amendments, and heard testimony. The ordinance discussion and testimonies will continue:
Planning and Zoning Committee Hearing on Urban Ag
Wednesday, May 12, 1:30 pm
414 E. 12th Street, either in the Council Chambers on the 10th floor or in the Hearing Room on the 26th floor (ask at the Info Desk when you get there)
We have heard and are recommending changes to the ordinance based on some very legitimate concerns, but what we see, on the ground, in Kansas City neighborhoods makes the option of on-site sales and green businesses/jobs a healthy, community building choice for the city.
Did you know that in Jackson County:
· There are nearly 37,000 low-income people who don’t have a car and for whom the nearest grocery store is more than a mile away?
· That more than 63% of adults in the metro area are overweight or obese?
· That 14% of preschoolers are already overweight?
There are too many neighborhoods in Kansas City where:
· Liquor stores and fast food joints are easier to find than a fresh carrot, head of lettuce, or home-grown tomato.
· The people who suffer disproportionately from diabetes, hypertension, and other diet-related diseases can’t easily follow the doctor’s orders to “eat more fruits and vegetables.”
In communities like these, the city ordinance that we have proposed which would allow a home gardener or someone running a garden micro-enterprise to sell fresh-grown produce to their neighbors could be an effective strategy to help people get access to healthy food.
If you think that Kansas City, MO needs to support this small step to increasing access to healthy foods, please:
1. Show up at the Planning & Zoning Committee Hearing on Wednesday, 1:30pm, at City Hall, 414. E 12th Street. The hearing will be either on the 10th floor in City Council Chambers, or on the 26th floor, in the Hearing Room. (Stop in at the info desk in the lobby to ask.)
2. Email city_council@kcmo.org and tell them that you want them to support the ordinance because our city needs to support neighborhood-based access to healthy foods!
Kansas City needs to support healthy, lively communities where residents can grow food and feed their neighbors-
