Request for Applications: Common Ground Program
An urban agriculture and community gardening program of the City of Lawrence and Douglas County
The City of Lawrence and Douglas County are seeking applications for an Urban Agriculture/Community Garden land use program (Common Ground). This Request for Applications (RFA) is intended to assist initiatives for the development of urban agriculture and community gardens in the City of Lawrence and Douglas County, increasing local food production, and providing community benefits. The City and County seek applications from qualified individuals, businesses, and/or nonprofit organizations to apply for a license to use currently vacant or underutilized municipally-owned properties with the goal of producing fresh healthy food for personal consumption and/or sale.
The Common Ground Program’s goal is to license these properties for the cultivation and sale of plants, herbs, fruits, flowers, or vegetables, either as for-profit or not-for-profit enterprises. Local community members are strongly encouraged to submit applications and/or develop partnerships with local community organizations.
Section 1: Program Goals and Background
In 2009, the Douglas County Commission created the Food Policy Council (FPC) to advise the County Commission on policies to identify the benefits, challenges and opportunities for a successful, sustainable local food system in Douglas County. The FPC represents a wide variety of stakeholders, and serves as a forum for discussion and promotion of community-wide efforts to improve the community’s access to local food supply and distribution networks. www.douglas-county.com/sites/fpc
One key initiative identified by the Food Policy Council is the potential for land owned by the City of Lawrence and Douglas County governments to be licensed to local market growers for vegetable and fruit production. This land, currently underutilized by both entities, could serve to:
· Support the local food economy by providing land for farmer-entrepreneurs looking to start or scale-up their food production business.
· Provide local jobs, as young farmers who cannot afford to buy land could lease municipally-owned properties and begin to grow their operations.
· Support our community’s healthy food initiatives by providing a source of local, nutritious food.
· Help address food access issues, as licenses will include a community benefit component such as a % donation to Just Food or other organizations that serve low-income families’ food needs.
· Provide a potential agritourism site.
· Generate revenue on currently-idle land, and avoid the current maintenance of that land with City/County resources.
In the fall of 2011, City and County staff collaborated to identify potential sites that could be leased to local market growers and community gardeners for food production. City and County staff also researched nationwide models of urban agriculture land lease programs, and our own agricultural land lease policies to inform the Common Ground Program’s structure.
Section 2: Available Sites
The license of the following parcels is intended to promote the Common Ground urban agriculture/community garden program and its objectives. All sites must be maintained and managed for agricultural use during the term of license. The City of Lawrence will license applicable sites for a period of 3 years; subject to the approval of the City of Lawrence and Douglas County, there will be an option to extend the lease on a rolling basis.
The following sites are currently owned by the City of Lawrence and Douglas County, and are available for program use. They will be collectively referred to as the “licensed property.” Preference will be given to applicants intending to utilize sites for their preferred use (i.e. community gardens or market farms).
Sites preferred for use as community gardens:
*denotes active water meter available
Properties available for market farms or community gardens:
Section 3: Application Requirements
Applications for the development of the licensed properties must provide the following six components:
1. A completed application form cover page (see Appendix A). (1 page)
2. A
narrative description describing the proposed agricultural use for the site.
(1 page)
This should generally outline your food production plans, and include a
timetable of the farming start-up, season, and off-season operations and
maintenance for the first year of operation. Please describe the growing
practices you intend to use. The narrative should include any adherence to
organic practices, Integrated Pest Management techniques, and any intent to
apply agricultural chemicals or pesticides.
3. Design
drawings for preferred property choice #1 illustrating the planned changes
to the existing site & proposed agricultural use. Any site modifications
(i.e. raised bed planting areas, composting activities, pathways, edging,
contours, fencing, etc.) must be graphically illustrated and noted on a simple
site design drawing. (1 page)
4. Business Plan: (1-2 pages, *not necessary for community garden applicants*)
A simple business plan must be included with the application. This should describe:
a. The objective of the business/nonprofit farming endeavor.
b. A simple market assessment, identifying the market being targeted, the unmet need the farm will fill in the community, and an assessment of demand for the product or service being provided by the farm.
c. Description of the farm management team members (principal operator and any employees), years of agricultural experience, and how they are qualified to manage this project.
d. The marketing strategy for the produce. (i.e. how will it be sold/distributed?)
5. Community Benefit Plan: (1 page)
Applicants are required to provide a brief description of the community benefits they intend to provide through their farming operations and activities. The following community benefits have been developed from input received at community meetings. Applicants are not limited to the following list, however a few sample benefits are:
š Provide mentorship/apprenticeship opportunities (i.e. through Growing Growers).
š Participate in the Lawrence Food Garden Tour or Kaw Valley Farm Tour.
š Sell produce to Lawrence residents directly at the Farmers’ Market or in area grocery stores or restaurants.
š Donate a % of produce to Just Food, local food pantries, or area schools.
6. Applicants
must indicate that they accept the following policies and procedures for
utilizing municipally-owned properties as part of the Common Ground Program:
Indicate your acknowledgement by providing your initials next to each
category.
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Drainage: Water drainage (from rainfall or irrigation) must remain on site. Changes in topography created by the removal or addition of soil must maintain all water on site. Applicants should address this in their narrative description and design drawings - showing proposed water collection systems and changes in topography on site plan. |
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Water Service: The City of Lawrence provides water service to all City residents. A water meter is currently (or can be) installed on the property. The selected grower for a licensed property will be expected to set up an account with the City of Lawrence and pay for water usage. Applicants should address water service needs and show how the water service interacts with other site elements in their application. |
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Season-Extending Structures: Applicants must provide a graphic illustration of the appearance, dimensions, location and building materials associated with any structures proposed for agricultural operations. This includes cold frames, hoophouses, or greenhouses. The design and location of these structures is subject to review and approval by City of Lawrence Staff. |
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Vehicular Access: Throughout the entire term of the lease (including development phases), the potential impacts on the surrounding neighborhood must be considered. The project must be designed with satisfactory consideration to traffic flow, parking, and pedestrian safety. The site plan should show the proposed access points and proposed parking for farm vehicles. |
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Use of Mechanical Equipment: Applicants must describe the type of mechanical equipment, intended use, and frequency and duration of use. No mechanical equipment may be operated outside of the hours of 8 AM-8PM daily. Activities must comply with all existing City noise ordinances. |
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Noise and Odor: Applicants must describe any noise and/or odor generating activities – including machinery, compost storage, structures, etc. In your narrative, please describe a plan to mitigate impacts on adjacent properties. |
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Maintenance: The licensed property must be maintained in an aesthetically appealing and safe manner – free of graffiti and debris along the sidewalks and right-of-way. In addition, the site must be maintained in accordance with City mowing and sidewalk snow removal ordinances. |
To view all relevant City codes, and ordinances please visit: www.lawrenceks.org
Section 4: Selection Procedure:
The City and County will review and evaluate applications promptly after the submission deadline. Evaluation of applications and selection will be based solely on the criteria listed in this RFA. The City and County reserve the right to waive portions of the RFA for all applicants, to excuse minor informalities in an application, or to reject all applicants, if deemed in the best interest of the City and County.
The City and County will identify and disqualify any applications that do not meet the minimum qualifications. To participate in this RFA for the Common Ground Program, organizations and individuals must meet the following minimum standards:
ü Completeness of submission – All six sections of the application must be completed and submitted by submission deadline.
ü Compliance with RFA goals – Proposed work must meet the objective of this program, which is to create urban agriculture enterprises and community gardens in our community that increase our access to healthy, fresh, local food.
Once the City and County have identified the applicants that satisfy the submission requirements, the Douglas County Food Policy Council will analyze and evaluate each according to the terms laid out in the application process. The application with the highest composite rating which satisfies all the terms of the RFA shall be selected. The City and County reserve the right to work with the highest ranked applicant to refine the application based upon community input. The Food Policy Council will recommend the selected applicant to the City and County Commissions for final approval.
Appendix A: Common Ground Program Application Cover Page
An urban agriculture and community gardening program of the City of Lawrence and Douglas County
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Name of Applicant: |
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Date Submitted: |
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Address: |
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Email: |
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Phone: |
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Name of principal business or nonprofit organization: |
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Please indicate the properties you are applying for, in order of preference:
First Choice: _______________________________________________
Second Choice: _____________________________________________
Third Choice: _______________________________________________
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