asides

City of Seattle backs off on fees for parking-strip gardens

Vegetable gardeners with big dreams and small yards caught a break Monday when Mayor Greg Nickels announced that residents are free to plant vegetable gardens in planting strips without pricey permits or fees.

“This change makes it easier to plant flowers and vegetables in the
strip between the sidewalk and the street. For many gardeners, that’s
prime space,” said Nickels. “It’s one of the things that makes
Seattle special, and, with planting season upon us, it’s time to get
those green thumbs going.”

Marty Wingate, Seattle Post Globe’s gardening writer, reported a couple of weeks ago on the sky-high fees for planting peas in the strip between street and sidewalk.

Under the new rules, gardeners no longer will be required to purchase a $225 permit.

The new rules are posted here on the city’s website.

To ensure public safety and protect city infrastructure, there are also guidelines for making planting strip improvements.

The idea of eliminating fees for parking-strip gardens came up during City Council budget discussions last fall. Council President Richard Conlin’s office led the effort.

“I oppose the fees that the Mayor and SDOT want to impose on gardens in the planting strip,” Conlin told the Post Globe last month.   “I have asked SDOT to change their proposal to make all food gardening in planting strips free of charge.”

From Seattle Post Globe