Our Pitkin County Planning Office is anxious to receive some word of our deliberations regarding recommendations for Greenhouse Regulations for Pitkin County. I confess to being a tardy leader, but I would like to get our discussion started. All of you except Brook and Chris (both of whom I have issued re-invitations) are signed on as Authors on the Blog:
http://pitkingreenhouses.blogspot.com/
First, a brief statement of facts regarding greenhouses (barns) in Pitkin County:
In ANY Zone, you may have as large a greenhouse as your floor-area-ration allows;
If you have 20 acres or more, you may have, in ADDITION to your floor area ratio, 58 SF per acre, in barn/greenhouse floor area BEYOND your floor area ratio;
Here are the questions we want to answer:
• How do we define a GREENHOUSE, as opposed to a BARN, EQUIPMENT SHED or other agricultural structure?
• Should EVERY property in Pitkin County be allowed some measure of greenhouse floor area in addition to F.A.R.?
• If so, what sizes would be appropriate, and what regulations should be put into effect to reduce abuse (building a greenhouse to store your Porsche)?
o ½ acre lots? 1-acre? 5-acre? 10-acre? 20? 80? (160+ is the current threshold for unlimited barn/greenhouse);
• Should greenhouses be regulated by AGRICULTURAL USE, and how?
o Must have Dirt floors? Raised planting beds? Automatic vents? Irrigation systems? Air circulation fans? Climate battery?
• Should greenhouses be regulated by ENERGY USE, and how?
o Net zero energy use/production? Passive solar mass / energy storage (climate battery)? Type/amount of backup heat for cold, sunless periods? Glazing type? Insulating curtain? Water tanks?
My suggestions:
Definition: A building or room, usually composed chiefly of glass or other light transmitting material, for the propagation, cultivation and/or protection of plants, or the raising of aquatic life in contained environments.
YES, every residential and agricultural parcel should be allowed a greenhouse in addition to F.A.R., perhaps along these lines:
• < 1-acre: 150 SF = 12x12, 10x15, 15’ dia dome, feeds 2-3 people;
• > 1, < 5 acres: 150 SF per acre: (2-ac=18’diaDome, 3ac=22’diaDome, 4ac=26’diaDome, 5ac=25x30, 15x50, 30’diaDome) feed 4-10 people;
• > 5, <10 acres: 250 SF per acre: (6-ac=25x60=1,500sf, 7-ac=25x70=1,750sf, 8-ac=25x80=2,000sf, 10-ac=35x72=2,500sf, 51’diaDome) feed 12-20 people;
• > 10, < 20 acres: 400 SF per acre: (11-ac=4,400sf, 12-ac=4,800sf, 13-ac=5,200sf, 14-ac=5,600sf, 16-ac=6,400sf, 18-ac=7,200sf, 20-ac=8,000sf) community size;
• > 20 acres: 600 SF per acre: (30-ac=18,000sf, 40-ac=24,000sf, 50-ac=30,000sf, 75-ac=45,000sf (> 1-acre of greenhouse at 75-acre property))
• Or, just allow “unlimited greenhouse” above 50-acres;
• At what point does an operation get regulated as a commercial use?
YES, we should help the County weed out the folks attempting to “game the system” by requiring that greenhouses be built to support the definition of the use, i.e. for supporting plants, and
YES, we should have the County require strict solar energy greenhouses with renewable energy backup heat, to avoid expanding use of natural gas and propane;
Finally, we need to suggest uses for bunkhouses, or agricultural worker housing, and for root cellars, or natural food storage rooms. Any suggestions?
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