Minneapolis boulevard garden ordinance approved to expand vegetation

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - After an adjustment to allow raised garden beds without a city permit, the Minneapolis City Council has approved a city-wide boulevard garden ordinance that will allow people to create gardens in front of properties, provided they follow a range of restrictions.

Minneapolis boulevard gardens approved

What we know:

The proposal, said to expand access to vegetation, comes with a list of restrictions to allow Minneapolis Public Works employees to conduct enforcement when there are sightline and safety issues that could impede the work of city services.

Under Minneapolis city code, the overarching "boulevard" term includes the land between streets and avenues, and a person’s property line. That strip of land – often grassed – is maintained by individual property owners, but is subject to the city’s right-of-way to alter and reconstruct for public purposes as needed.

The new ordinance aims to legalize edible gardening and other types of planting on a person’s boulevard – currently only grasses, flowers and trees are permitted.

Council members say its intent is to create an opportunity and encourage people to grow their own edibles.

Minneapolis boulevard garden restrictions

Dig deeper:

Although the new ordinance would allow for vegetation growth on boulevards, the placement of any vegetation grown would face a wide range of restrictions on where it can be placed.

Vegetation will be subject to a height restriction of 18 inches above curb height. Various types of peas, beans and corn are not allowed, as they grow at a typical height of more than 3-feet, according to the University of Minnesota’s planting and growing guidelines.

Vegetation that’s taller than eight inches also can’t be continuous for more than 15-feet parallel to the curb, reducing a person’s potential yield. Any grown vegetation can’t be within 3-feet of any fixed objects.

Under the proposal, tilling or digging using mechanized equipment will be prohibited when planting vegetation within a boulevard.

Pollinator gardens for bees, heavily promoted by city officials in the past, will also be subject to several restrictions.

The growing or planting of any plant with "thorns, spines, or sharp-ridged parts" are prohibited.

However, several pollinator-friendly plants contain thorns, including bougainvillea, duranța, and climbing rose. The "devil's walking stick" – also known as Araliaspinosa – is also a spiny plant that attracts pollinators.

According to council members, the Minneapolis Public Works department aims to create a user guide outlining the rules of the ordinance in the coming months.

Prior to approval, council member Linea Palmisano expressed concern over people not needing a permit for a raised planter bed, saying it would allow people to create them "wherever they want" without city enforcement.

"What is the plan for someone creating a raised planter bed, then moving away? Who is going to take care of that structure so it doesn’t fall into disrepair," Palmisano said, noting that without a permitting process the city’s enforcement would be limited. "It unfairly puts the burden of existing planter beds on people who never put them there."

What they're saying:

"It was much to my surprise how many people were engaged in this issue, and how many people have already been gardening in their boulevards for decades in this city," said council member Aurin Chowdhury, one of the ordinance authors. "This is an effort to make sure that boulevard gardening, especially raised planting beds, continues to be accessible for lower-income community members, renters and nonprofit community members to do this work."

"This is an inclusive measure, and hopefully promotes more people to garden in their boulevard," said council member Katie Cashman, who noted the city would review any rise in resident or city worker complaints after this summer over "any problematic raised beds."