HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 9544 INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 9544
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council February 5, 2013
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SUBJECT: PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE ZONING ORDINANCE FOR
rF FARMERS' MARKETS
The purpose of this Informal Report is to provide information concerning proposed amendments to the
Zoning Ordinance to allow farmers' markets in commercial and mixed-use zoning districts and create
development standards.
The amendments are intended to complement amendments being prepared by the Consumer Health
Division in the Code Compliance Department to expand the types of food and goods that may be sold at
farmer's markets. National public health initiatives have endorsed the expansion of farmers' markets,
particularly in urban environments, to allow more convenient access to healthy foods. It is the policy of the
City of Fort Worth to encourage the availability of healthy foods to residents.
Fort Worth currently regulates farmers' markets as outdoor sales which are permitted only in industrial
districts. Farmers' markets should be located where they can be easily accessed by the public, which is
near neighborhoods. The proposal is to allow farmers' markets by right in "E" Neighborhood Commercial
through "H" Central Business District and all mixed use and form-based zoning districts. All of the form-
based districts - Trinity Uptown, Near Southside, Camp Bowie, and Trinity Lakes — currently allow the
markets by right in all subdistricts. The amendment will limit the size of a farmers' market in "E"
Neighborhood Commercial and "MU-1" Low Intensity Mixed Use zoning districts to no more than ten (10)
truck vendors or a sales area of 2,000 square feet. When parking is required, it is proposed to be two
spaces per truck or booth.
Staff discussed the amendment with the operator of the Fort Worth Farmer's Market on the Weatherford
Traffic Circle as well as two area cities that operate farmer's markets. Downtown Fort Worth Inc. has
reviewed and is supportive. The amendment was also placed in the Planning and Development
Department's E-News for distribution. The public hearing for the Zoning Commission is scheduled for
February 13, 2013, with the public hearing for the City Council on March 5, 2013. The Consumer Health
Division is completing their amendments with a forthcoming presentation planned for the City Council.
If you have any questions, please contact Jocelyn Murphy, Planning Manager, Planning and
Development, at 817-392-6226.
Tom Higgins
City Manager
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS