In order to plant a vegetable garden in a Roswell front yard, a homeowner might have to go through several steps to ensure the garden was an improvement to the neighborhood.
Step #1 – Apply for a Permit
The resident would need to fill out an application and pay a one-time fee that would cover the cost of a pre-planting site visit from a contractor representing the city (e.g., a landscape architect or local farmer).
Step #2 – Submit a Design
The resident would need to submit, with his or her application, a proposed design for the frontyard vegetable garden, showing that he or she had put some thought into the landscaping. The person would need to read Roswell’s expanded and detailed code regarding planting, picking up a brochure from City Hall or visiting a website page the city created. The brochure or website page would provide information regarding setbacks, plant heights, etc.
Step #3- Attend a Workshop
Roswell could host gardening workshops four times each year for all Roswell residents (even those who wanted to plant in their back yards without a permit). The workshops would cover garden design, city codes regarding gardens, watering restrictions and basic tips on what plants grow best in Georgia at what times of the year.
These workshops might be conducted by the resident farmer at the new Martin’s Garden at the old Coleman Farm, co-hosted by the Georgia Chapter of the American Landscape Architects Association.
Step #4 – Have a Site Visit
Once the resident had submitted an application with a design and attended a city gardening workshop, a city appointed contractor would visit the homeowner’s property to check out the yard, review the submitted garden plan and offer suggestions (e.g., setbacks, allowed planters and supports, drainage, best locations for specific plants, etc.). The contractor could then approve the application, or recommend it for approval.
Low-income residents could be exempted from the one-time application fee (which would pay for contractor site visits).
The city might get a business like Pike, Home Depot or Lowe’s to sponsor the workshops.