Frequently Asked Questions

If you are planning to use a City-owned vacant lot for your community garden, you should start the process at least 5 months in advance of wanting to plant because you will need to get on the agenda of several different City committees. The process is outlined below.

Select a vacant lot

Call the Building & Housing Dept. at 216-491-1473 for information about available and suitable City-owned vacant lots.

Make sure you're qualified

To qualify to create a community garden on a City-owned vacant lot, applicants must:

• Have the support of the relevant neighborhood association (if the neighborhood has an active association)
• Be in good standing with City departments. Specifically, the applicant must have no Criminal Nuisance Activity violations; have no open building permits; be current with all property taxes in Shaker Heights; and have no properties they own in foreclosure.

Get a plan

Gather the information needed to complete the Board of Zoning Appeals/City Planning Commission (BZA / CPC) application.

• Create a written description of how the garden will operate including participants and the leadership structure
• Create a site layout drawing (hand-drawn with dimensions)
• Determine how you will fund the garden
• Determine how you will get adequate water for the garden
• Create a timeline for starting the community garden
• Contact neighbors adjacent to and across the street from the site and share your plans with them

For questions or additional information related to zoning or CPC, email Dan Feinstein or call 216-491-1435.

Get Approval

• Building & Housing Department approval – Call 216-491-1473 to apply for approval to use the City's site for your community garden.
• BZA / CPC approval – BZA/CPC will consider your request after you have received approval from the Neighborhood Revitalization & Development committee. You must submit a BZA / CPC application and your garden and site plan as outlined above and present your request at a BZA / CPC meeting. The BZA / CPC application fee is waived for City-owned lots. (Call 216-491-1435 to get started with your BZA / CPC application.
• City Council approval – City Council will consider your request to use the site for a community garden after you have received BZA / CPC approval. City Council must also approve the license agreement you will enter into with the City for use of the site. The licensing agreement will set the terms and conditions for use of the property.

Get growing!

• Get a good site
• Get permission - The County Auditor's website can help you identify the property owner, who must give you permission to use the site as a community garden. Permission can take the form of either a lease agreement between the property owner and the community garden group or a letter from the property owner giving permission to the group to use the property for a community garden for at least one year.
• Get the soil tested - A simple soil test is required for gardens because it provides critical information about contaminant levels, nutrient levels and recommendations for amending the soil. Learn more about soil testing at the Ohio State University Extension service.
• Get a plan
• Create a written description of how the garden will operate including participants and the leadership structure
• Create a site layout drawing (hand-drawn with dimensions)
• Determine how you will fund the garden
• Determine how you will get adequate water for the garden site
• Create a timeline for starting the community garden
• Contact neighbors adjacent to and across the street from the site and share your plans with them
• For zoning questions or to find out if your plans require BZA / CPC approval, contact Dan Feinstein at 216-491-1435.
• Get BZA / CPC approval if required – Call 216-491-1435 to apply to BZA / CPC, which requires you to submit the BZA / CPC application and your garden and site plan as outlined above, pay the application fee, and present your request at a BZA / CPC meeting.
• Get growing!

Zoning ordinance sections related to fences, setbacks, signs, and structures are the sections most likely to apply to a community garden. For guidance related to these and any other applicable zoning regulations, contact email Dan Feinstein at the Planning Department at 216-491-1435.

• Fences (Section 1262.05) – Fences require a fence permit.
• Setbacks (Section 1220.07) – The zoning ordinance sets forth minimum front yard setbacks when appropriate.
• Signs (Chapter 1250) – Gardens may erect signs 1 square foot or less in size without City review or approval. For signs greater than 1 square foot, a zoning variance, and in some cases a building permit, is required.
• Storage structures (Section 1262.16) – Storage structures up to 10 feet in height located in the rear area of a property are generally allowed at gardens. Storage structures are subject to design review by the Architectural Board of Review (ABR).
• Accessory ornamental structures and small greenhouses (Section 1262.10) – Structures, such as gazebos or small greenhouses, up to 15 feet in height and located in the rear area of a property may be allowed as part of a garden. Ornamental structures are subject to design review by ABR and in some case require a Building permit.

You will want to ensure that you get enough water to meet the needs of the plants planned for the garden. Some of the common ways to access water for a community garden include:

Neighbor's House

Consider sharing the cost of water with a neighboring homeowner who is willing to supply water with a nearby spigot from their home.

Rain Collection

Rain barrels collect and store rainwater, typically from a garage or house roof, that would otherwise be lost to runoff and diverted into storm drains. If your site does not have a building or garage, consider whether neighboring homeowners would allow you to install and use rain barrels at their homes or garages. The City encourages rain barrels be located at the rear and side of homes and be screened from the street view by landscaping.

A rain barrel is usually constructed out of a 55 gallon drum and connected to a gutter downspout. In the City, rain barrels are permitted as long as drains and/or overflows from the barrel do not flow back toward the building or create a nuisance condition. Typically, this issue is addressed by using a diverter, which does not permanently disconnect the downspout for a rain barrel. The diverter allows water to collect in the rain barrel until it is full, and then allows the overflow water to run down through your downspout as it was originally designed.

Spigot

Although spigots have a relatively high upfront cost, it makes water access easy and convenient for the life of the community garden. Use of a spigot on City-owned lots will be discussed on a case-by-case basis with applicants for City-owned properties. To set up an account for a metered spigot on privately-owned lots, complete the Cleveland Water's domestic application and letter of intent, and submit, along with a plot plan showing the location of the connection and the vault being used to Cleveland Water's Permit and Sales Department, which can be reached at 216-664-2444 ext. 5203.

• Cleveland Water's Permits and Sales Department will charge for the meter to be installed (around $3,400 for 2 spigots) and schedule installation of meter, back flow valve, and spigot(s).
• Cleveland Water will inspect the back flow after installation.
• Shaker Heights, through a private company, will inspect the back flow annually ($80/year).

Fire Hydrant Permit

Although fire hydrants are located in the City of Shaker Heights, the City of Cleveland supplies water to the hydrants and is responsible for water usage permits. Therefore, it is necessary to obtain permits from both Shaker Heights and Cleveland Water to use water from a fire hydrant for your garden:

To obtain a Shaker Heights Hydrant Use Permit:

• Contact the Shaker Heights Fire Department at 216-491-1215 for an application
• Complete and return the application
• Pay a $100 fee ($25 permit fee plus $75 refundable deposit)
• Shaker Fire Department will inspect hydrant for adequate water pressure
• If hydrant clears inspection, Fire Department will issue a Shaker permit
• To operate a hydrant it will be necessary to obtain a hydrant adapter fitting and a hydrant wrench from a tool supply store to use for installing the adapter and controlling water.
• When finished using a hydrant for the season, contact the Shaker Heights Fire Department to inspect the hydrant for damage. If the hydrant passes inspection, the Fire Department will refund your $75 deposit.
• Repeat process each year.

To obtain a Cleveland Water Usage Permit:
The Cleveland Water Department issues Community Garden Permits. Find additional information on permits on the Cleveland Water website or contact the Permit and Sales Unit at 216-664-2444.

Creating and running a successful community garden is a big undertaking. The below information is designed to help you get started.

Finding a site

In Shaker Heights, community gardens can be on private property or on a City-owned vacant lot. When evaluating a site, consider these questions:

• Who owns the property and will the property owner permit you to use it?
• What impacts will the City's zoning laws have on activities at the site?
• Is the site easily accessible to the population it will serve?
• Does the site get adequate sun for a community garden?
• How will you get adequate water to the site?
• What are the soil's lead and other contaminant levels?
• Is the soil suitable for gardening?

Investigate a number of potential sites from the outset to avoid disappointment. Your ideal site may be unavailable because of soil contamination or other reasons.

Developing a plan  

There are many resources available for those interested in starting a community garden, including OSU Extension (OSUE), workshops and classes, start-up guides, and existing community gardeners.

OSUE can help you:

• Develop your garden's mission statement and goals
• Develop the overall plan and budget for your community garden
• Identify appropriate sites for your garden and develop a site design

Visit the OSUE website or call (216) 429-8200

Other considerations

• Compost piles – Compost piles are allowed with a free compost permit (PDF) from the Department of Public Works. The permit describes how to construct a compost pile and where to locate it. Once the compost pile is constructed, Public Works will inspect the compost pile to ensure it complies with the permit. Call 216-491-1490 for more information.
• Trash and leaf pick-up – Community gardens may place bags of grass clippings and piles of leaves and brush on their tree lawn for regular City yard waste pick-up. Trash pick-up is not available for community gardens on City-owned property. Please review the City's yard-waste guidelines.
• Liability and insurance – Because community gardens involve the common use of property by many different individuals, it is a good idea to consider obtaining liability insurance. Liability insurance can provide the gardeners and/or property owner with legal protection in the event that a gardener or visitor is injured on the site. You may be able to obtain insurance at a lower cost by asking a larger organization that already has liability coverage to sponsor the garden.
• Food donation – Community gardens can help food banks, shelters and related organizations by donating some of their bounty. For example, the Greater Cleveland Food Bank takes food donations and distributes them to more than 450 centers thoughout Northeast Ohio. These organizations generally welcome produce donations, but check before you donate to find out hours of operation and their donation procedures.