Coming changes to Tulsa’s zoning code will permit community-supported farms and markets in the city’s residential areas.
Those will be a step up from currently allowed community gardens in a couple of ways.
"It’s a bigger use than a community garden. It actually allows sales on site," said Tulsa Planning Office Director Susan Miller.
"The intent was, for instance, if there was some kind of program, let’s say, at ORU or some kind of school or a church, and they wanted to utilize some of their property to do some kind of market and grow food and sell it, that they would have the opportunity to do that," Miller said.
Under the proposed zoning code amendment, community-supported farms and markets must be on single parcels of land larger than 2 acres.
"There’s quite a bit; however, they do have to go through the special exception, which looks at every site individually, notifies the neighbors, has that conversation," Miller said.
There are dozens of qualifying parcels sprinkled throughout the city that add up to nearly 18,000 acres of land. Most are south of I-44, north of I-244 or east of Garnett Road.
The city council may approve the zoning change next week.
