Zoning amendment would allow front-yard gardens
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| A front-yard garden in Annandale. |
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is considering a zoning change to allow homeowners to have gardens in their front yards.
Currently, gardens are only permitted in side and rear yards on lots less than 36,000 square feet.
The proposal would allow gardens that are no more than 100 square feet (for cultivating vegetables, fruits, herbs, flowers, and ornamental plants) in front yards. The gardens could be no closer than 15 feet from the front lot line, and composting would not be allowed.
When the Planning Commission discussed the issue earlier this month, some members raised concerns about curb appeal and property values, while others spoke about the benefit of growing one’s own food and that backyards often don’t get enough sun for gardening.
The proposed zoning change would also allow community gardens to be established on open-space land owned by homeowner associations, condominium associations, schools, offices, places of worship, and businesses.
When a community garden is proposed as a principal use on land not designated as open space, it could be permitted administratively with a Temporary Special Permit as long as the garden will take up no more than two acres.
A community garden between two and five acres would require a special permit with approval by the Board of Zoning Appeals. That means there would be a hearing with community input. There would be a $435 application fee to the BZA.
Any community garden larger than 5,000 square feet would need a conservation plan aimed at preventing pollution and erosion.
The Board of Supervisors will hold a hearing on the zoning amendment June 25.
51 responses to “Zoning amendment would allow front-yard gardens”
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Oh great, this place looks like a shanty in the old south. Hillbilly county here we come.
I think zoning just wants to lower our property values and thus our taxes so they can force the county into bankruptcy. And where are our wonderful County Supervisors' on this? I will tell you, in some gated communities where they don't have to look at this crap.
This ordinance will apply in HOA communities unless they have specific language in the CC&Rs prohibiting front yard gardens.
Farming in residential front yards? This is absurd.
I suppose the other Anonymouses hate fresh summer tomatoes? How sad.
Have another look at the photo above.
This is a very bad and stupid idea. It ruins the continuity of the a neighborhood and there is no way to control how a vegetable garden is maintained and kept. The Board of Stupids BoS probably all live in some toni neighborhoods or gated communities with HOA's that have wont tolerate this visa vi covenants. Instead of helping our communities they just keeping making it worse, shame on them for their insensitive attitudes.
No one was stopping these folks from using their side and rear yards. Why don't we just cut all the trees down and burn down the houses and return the entire County dump to pre WWII farmland. It would not hurt to start all over again, particularly with a new set of Board of Smarts. This had to have been a Penny Gross idea to get back at constituents for suggesting they would support Gary Aikens.
Ha! I had a very tiny vegetable garden in my front yard for seven years! Thankfully I lived in a wonderful neighborhood that you appreciated the extra vegetables that I put out for free at the curb! A big F U to all of you who think your property values are going to lower because you’re Neighbors are smarter and more eco-friendly than you!
I'm not sure about "smarter and more eco-friendly," but I am sure about you being more vulgar and holier than thou.
Another ridiculous proposal. This one ruins the look of neighborhoods and for what? — because someone can't grow tomatoes in the back or rear yards?
Growing up in Los Angeles, less than 10 miles from downtown in the 70's, our neighborhood had "pipe-stem" lots of less than 1/4 acre. Several of my neighbors had chickens and one had a cow.
Yeah, I don't know about this. I certainly think it's an eyesore, but that seems wholly subjective – what's wrong with a well taken care of garden, anyway? I just think we're used to seeing well manicured green lawns and anything other than that, like lots of cars, or a playground set, or a garden makes us feel weird. If you really think about it, I guess there's nothing really awful about it other than the fact that it doesn't quite conform.
I think the garden is just fine, don't think anyone should really care about that, its the fencing around it that makes it an eyesore.
Adam, just curious. Do you own your own home? Is it one with a front yard? If not, I can see how you would think there is nothing wrong with this "other than it doesn't quite conform." If so, then I'm worried about you if you can't see what is wrong in this picture.
Have you worked your whole life to buy a home and try to keep it looking nice only to have something like what is in this picture pop up beside your home?
There is absolutely no reason this should be even in consideration by the BoS other than they want to make the areas of Fairfax County that do not have HOAs look like absolute crap. And, yes appearance is very important aspect of housing.
Progressive does not mean you have to make Fairfax County look like some third world crap-hole. There are better and smarter ways to do this if the BoS would just use a little more imagination. There are more than enough other places in the county where gardens can be grown where none of these issues would need to be discussed. Why does the BoS persist in engaging in unnecessarily provocative ideas that only gets neighbor mad at neighbor? They should look for less incensing ways of addressing problems. We talk about decreasing divisiveness in this country but then someone has to think these kinds of ideas up only to drive more wedges between neighbors. It's awful.
I’m blown away that this is getting so many comments. Of all the mason district code compliance eyesores – paved lawns, cars parked on lawns, overcrowding, unpermitted building, and so much more, it is unfathomable that people would care about a front yard garden.
I agree with you regarding the BoS provocative bad initiatives that just makes an increasingly horrible situation worse. Like I said earlier this group is a Board of Stupids.
I've been in my home for 10 years, and I do my best to maintain it. My neighbor had a playground in his front yard for a while and it bothered me, which is why I said I wasn't sure how I feel about it. I guess I don't see it as black and white, I don't see anything bad about a well maintained garden. You can't use the argument "but people may have shit gardens," because that could be true of anything. You don't prohibit people parking cars in their driveway because some people park on their lawns like neanderthals.
Adam and Anonymous of 6/3/19 8:23 – You're correct in you can't keep people from doing stupid things regardless of how many laws you have. And, Mason District already has so many horrible code and appearance issues that the enforcement section can't keep up. So, you have to ask why a BoS would even think about making a bad situation even worse by condoning or worse authorizing such a thing? This has to be Penny and Sharon at their worst yet.
You don't want no cucumbers & tomatoes in your front yard, then don't grow em & Shut Up!
whats a travesty it is having land to grow food and you growing grass…americans are silly
First, most Americans can buy food in the store more cheaply than you can grow it. Secondly, we "silly" Americans probably have one of the best food growing and distribution systems in the world. You may want to do some research about how much food other countries import from the U.S. before you start accusing us of being "silly."
Secondly, this is another stupid idea the BoS has come up with which will once again pit neighbor against neighbor. I swear Bulova and Gross just want to see how many people they can make made before they leave office. They have absolutely taken this county and flown it right into the ground. They are about as stupid as they come.
Plus, in addition to a horrible appearance issue, has anyone thought about the nuisance animals (yes, mice, rats, etc) this would attract?
Here's maybe a better idea. Why doesn't the county propose using parcels of county land in parks, around schools, government areas, that could be used to grow community gardens or for those who may want to grow a small vegetable garden. Nope, Gross and Bulova aren't that smart. They just want to see what they can do to make a good portion of the county mad at them and have neighbor mad at neighbor. They're idiots.
Right, be sure to continue to spray pesticides and herbicides all over your beautiful green lawn and enjoy the water quality you create. At least gardens have a purpose unlike grass which was sold along with suburbia by the chemical companies who had to find a way to off-load their nasty oil based by products after WWII. At least a garden serves a real purpose. BTW, rats cohabitate with people.
More sillyness…who cares about cheap…if you grow your own produce you can make sure it is grown in mineral rich soil and not radiated and sanitized which kills the B vitamins on it…its been said that store bought produce is mineral deficient due to poor agricultural practices…you must have never smelled the difference between a mango fresh off a tree as opposed to one in the store…furthermore, there are people who didn't even feel the effects of the "great depression" in the 1930's because nature provided all of their food…eye guess you are fond of economic slavery…America is also promoting this MONSANTO GMO seeds which they are trying to force on other countries…thankfully some countries such as Guatamala are resisting this…this monsanto stuff is really bad for our health…not to say USA doesn't have some great ethical organic farmers…the rest of your arguments expose your senility…bottom line…people are starving and silly Americans are growing "grass" on their front lawn…if someone owns land they should be free from tyranical people like you telling them what they can and cannot do with it…eye would love to go deeper into why you are so silly but the comment won't make it to the board…personally eye think a front lawn full of produce and medicinal herbs would be more beneficial than a lawn full of grass…dandelions is a perfect food…its growing to heal us…but America was conquered by a very savage people with no knowledge of self or their origin..
I thought gardens attracted rabbits?
There’s a lot of crazy in this thread
I would offer that most soils here in the Northern Virginia area are no longer "mineral rich" as most of the top soil was graded off to make the housing developments in which most of our houses now sit and these gardens would be grown. So, most gardens will still require an abundant amount of fertilizer and pesticide to keep them healthy enough to even produce vegetables. If it can’t grow grass without all that, it’s surely not going to grow any vegetables.
As for tasting a fresh mango off the tree – Wrong again. I've been in Latin America and have had fresh mango from the tree.
I don't know where you get that the people from the 1930's had all this food that nature provided for them. You must have some very romantic notion about that. You may want to do some research on food lines and riots over food during the Depression before you start putting out the Disney version of history. I can tell you from my own family's experience during the Depression "nature did not provide all of their food" even though they lived in a rural area and had gardens. They went very hungry. Not to mention those in the middle of the country whose crops were blown away – why do you think they called it the "Dust Bowl?"
As for Guatemala not allowing GMO seeds? Is that why we have to have our National Guard at the border? To keep all of us "silly Americans" from heading south to Guatemala for their bounty? You may want to do a quick search about Guatemala before you hail that as an example – 6th highest malnutrition rate in the world and the highest in the Caribbean and Latin America. Again, you have some very romantic notions.
As for the personal attacks and calling me tyrannical. While I disagreed with your ideas, I didn't stoop so low as to call you names and try to judge you. You have no idea of whom I am, from where I came, or what I have done in my life to better the lives of others. I fully believe that a person has a right to their property but in an area such as this, one has to understand how those actions affect other people. Why do you think we have other codes regarding what a person can or can't do on their own property?
Also, that while the Europeans may have done some rather harsh things in their settlement of North America, they were no more savage and had just as much knowledge of their selves and their origins as any Native American or any other peoples of the world. If you would bother to read some of the writings of our nation's founders, you might learn something. Instead, you persist in espousing trite, uneducated, and self-righteous babble.
And, I would rather be senile and not know better as to portray myself as a "know it all" without having done much research into the facts. But alas, you are correct. As I did fall for a trap and did not follow a rule I have always set for myself, “Never argue with a fool, onlookers may not be able to tell the difference.” – Mark Twain
Though it’s a pretty big oversimplification, the very essence of the depression was that hardworking farmers weren’t actually able to grow food, which is kinda the opposite of what you’re asserting here. What’s with the quotes too rahs al ghul? It truly was the Great Depression, are you saying it wasn’t?
Even more silliness…nobody ever said polluted north virginia had mineral rich soil…theres things you can do to re-mineralize the soil…as far as pesticides…more silliness…those mangoes eye got off the tree had such a powerful smell that the whole room smelled like mangoes…as opposed to a mango from the store with a barely perceptable smell…yes, eye have first hand information from people who lived in the depression and they said it didn't even effect them because they lived off the land…yes, eye know your people want to disconnect everyone from the land so they have to slave for you to get food…your worst nightmare would be people living off the land…which is why eye find it comical you are so judgemental of Guatamala…but one thing is for sure…those devils at monsanto tried to push their devil seeds on Guatamala and they said no…just because a bully is hanging around doesn't mean the people support a bully…thats the nature of bullies…they are generally desparate and up in everyones face asking you what you are going to do about it…eye think you should look up the definition of property…only a bully would tell someone what to do with their property…Europeans is one thing…before this country morphed into a pro-white anti-black country, europeans, africans and natives were having babies together and building civilization….but then the land got flooded with the WORST of what europe had to offer and eye don't think you have a clue how bad these immigrants were…and now in 2019 America is a toxic hell hole in many places…the Native Americans at least kept America pristine…they were an organic culture…a far superior culture to the eurotrash that ruined this nation…we are on the brink of a man made extinction level event due to your people finally getting a chance to rule the planet…and you brag about this? SILLINESS! The Nations founders? Your mean the plagiarists…they got their ideas from the people who was already here before the eurotrash arrived…and we know they plagiarized the ideas because they didn't even live what the wrote…"all men are created equal"…you cannot mistreat your servants and believe all men are created equal…yeah, you in over your head here buddy so if you want to use Mark Twain as an honorable exit from an intellectual slaughter then please do…but feel free to reply…we can do this forever…the future of our nation depends on your wicked philosophy being debunked
OMG, really, if you don't America is a healthy and bountiful place to live, Dulles Airport is 45 minutes away……bon voyage.
Daren, gardens like this shown in the photo above do not attract rabits, not much to eat in there anyway. It just attracts the Mason morons.
This jewel guy is muy loco.
Mason Morons…LOL…Well…the oath of alligence says to protect our land from enemies foriegn and domestic…it doesn't say to go run away to another country…but thanks for playing…we have a nice home edition of the game you can take home…and you are most certainly welcome to leave…Mr. Goldberg…nobody is denying the great depression or the dust bowl happened and neither is the people who said they didn't even feel the depression because they lived off the land…what eye am trying to say is there are certain tyrannical people in this country who want to disconnect the people from the land so they are dependant on "them" and their fabricated non-gold backed monitary system and at the same time they are trying to destroy nature so even the people who want to live off the land cannot…if you don't believe it look at those trails that come out of certain airplanes that don't disappear like those from a commercial flight would
Oh man, zero to chemtrails in just a few comments, this is gold.
I must be a scofflaw. We bought a house 20 years ago from an avid floral garnder that had an entire front yard as a flower garden. We have maintained it. Actually looks quite nice.
I'm not concerned about you, Daren, but not everyone takes care of their garden and many people will start a project and then abandon it, leaving it as an eyesore for their neighbors. We had this happen to us – neighbor across the street bought a house, and started some building project in front. No idea what he's building but it has sat half built in his front yard for months now. I wish everyone could take care of their property the way you do, but unfortunately, the regulations are needed, in my view, for those like this neighbor of mine, who don't take care of their things.
Like you, Daren, we created a vegetable garden in the front yard of our home 19 years ago. It was the only location with enough sun to grow vegetables, though our lot is slightly more than the 35,000 sq ft minimum. We have maintained and expanded the garden, incorporating flowers and perennials. We have received hundreds of compliments, and never a complaint. Lawns are biological deserts. Progressive communities are embracing the concept of "edible landscaping". Front yard gardens can be assets to homeowners and the community. I'm disappointed in the tenor of comments on the proposal.
I don't think this is a good idea. If it's a well cared for garden, I have no problem with that, but many people start projects like these and then leave them to weed. It's going to become an issue. If you don't have enough sun in your backyard or side yard, clear some space for your precious garden.
Not a good idea….
Nope not a good idea, and if allowed, the pigs, chickens and goats would be next.
The bottom line is that the Department of Code Compliance is unable to enforce the current codes. They will almost certainly not enforce this. There is great potential for this to be a detriment to neighborhoods and property values. There could be many eyesore gardens. The county should focus on community garden's instead.
For sure, the homeowner or renter would tell code compliance that the tomatoes and goats are their cousins and code compliance would say OK. Nice to meet you and enjoying wrecking your hood, you comply!
If you oppose to your neighbor having a front yard garden, then you can always offer to rent your neighbor's front yard and maintain the lawn. If you're unwilling to do this, then respect other people's property rights because they respect yours.
So, explain to me why we have any codes at all? And, if they put an eyesore next to my property, how is that respecting me and my property rights and values? That's the whole point. It shows a complete lack of MUTUAL respect. Something that has been lost in today's society. I'm supposed to respect all the "progressive" ideas but my opinions and desires don't count. The best approach in this situation would be to do no harm and leave it as is – no gardens in the front yard.
Hang on a sec: I'm "progressive" by many accounts, and I don't support this AT ALL. I agree that there's nothing attractive about front-yard farming. Many homeowners around here seem to miss the fact that what they do in their own yards affects their neighbors, the larger community, wildlife, air and water quality, and then some.
++++
If people want to grow something in their front yards, I strongly suggest native species of TREES, FLOWERS, and GRASSES.
If your neighbor respect your choices, and therefore you should respect theirs. Simple as that. You may think that your neighbor has an ugly front yard, but what if you are the one with hideous window coverings or tacky holiday decors that make the house stick out like a sore thumb? There are nice front yard gardens in my neighborhood, and there are front-yard lawns that are unkept and awful. If you think your neighbor's yard is awful, then do the neighborly thing and offer to help. If you don't want to see a garden, talk to the neighbor and offer the neighbor some suggestions and incentives. Let's be frank, a garden doesn't harm you in any way. Guess what can harm you? your neighbor applying tons of pesticide on the lawn to keep it perfect.
Also, this isn't a progressive/conservative issue. Not everything is "progressive" or "liberal's" fault so please don't turn it to that.
I would offer that seeing how a Republican has a chance in heck of winning in this section of Fairfax and most of the members of or candidates for BoS are falling over themselves to prove who is more "progressive," how can it not be turned into a liberal or progressive issue? It's exactly that.
Also, do you not beleive that a vegetable or flower garden is going to require pesticides and fertilizers? If not, then I would have to say you are somewhat out of touch or at least misinformed. They require as much if not more than grass or you won't have that garden too long.
My lawn service only uses organic, non chemical fertilizers, and my lawn is luscious and well maintained. I am in the minority but I have pride in my home and for my neighborhood. Interestingly that you suggest talking to your neighbors. I have and it does work for the most part.
Its the renters and the this is my house attitude and I'll do what I want; that is the problem, there are too many people moving into Mason that think they can trash America. It is overwhelming the stability of neighborhoods and that is a concern of both long standing generations and new immigrants who do take pride in their property. Therefore regulations are needed to put into check the folks who just don't give a crap. One year it will be a vegetable garden and when they find out how much work it is, it turns into a weeded trash heap.
Most of the gardens are not monoculture plots, and thus requiring much less pesticides and fertilizers. Also, if the owner is planting edible plants, then the owner would most likely use less likely to use chemical pesticides/fertilizers.
I cannot believe that even gardening has become a conservative / progressive issue. It isn't. You want a perfect lawn? go for it. Your neighbor wants a garden? let it be. A garden won't physically harm you (unlike pesticides you spray on your lawn) and it may actually increase curb appeal.
Then put these in the rear or side yards. Next we will have washers, and refrigerators on front porches and perhaps a porta-potty too, if their plumbing is out of service.
Even our ancestors knew to put the latrine in the back. This is not about progressiveness or conservatism, this is about going backwards. As the city's of China sparkle in newness and cleanliness, America is becoming a trash heap. Nothing here is monoculture, and that is great, that doesn't mean that everyone has to be a pig and disrespectful. If that is what you like there are some very good third world countries for you and the pigs to move to……….bon voyage.
Here's an idea. Let's all get on a bus and tour Mason District and then tour Potomac. Which curb appeal do you think would win? Ok maybe not even Potomac. Just a nice HOA community where this kind of crap isn't tolerated. Front yards that look like crap do not boost curb appeal.
And I don't think anyone would object to a nice flower garden. It's the unkempt look of a vegetable garden that gets people riled.
Unbelievably, the Planning Commission recommended adoption of this ordinance to the Board of Supervisors.
You can send your comments and concerns to all Supervisors at [email protected] and cc the Planning Commission at [email protected]