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BACKGROUND In 1926 the Board of Trustees of the Town of Pleasanton adopted Ordinance 145, which prohibited beekeeping in Pleasanton. This prohibition is not codified in the Municipal Code, but it is still in place and has not been repealed. While the PMC currently lists apiaries as a conditionally permitted use in the A zoning district, beekeeping is not permitted or conditionally permitted in other zoning districts. During the portion of the September 2, 2014 City Council meeting for public comment on non-agendized items, David Browne (a member of the public) requested that the City Council allow beekeeping in residential zoning districts. Council then asked staff to research the merits of an amendment to the Municipal Code to permit small-scale beekeeping in residential zoning districts. Staffs subsequent research indicated that many cities throughout California, including some in the Tri-Valley, allow beekeeping and have reported generally positive experiences. Staff believes that, with the implementation and monitoring of performance standards that reflect best-practice beekeeping protocols, beekeeping can be safely accommodated within Pleasanton, as it has been in local communities ranging from San Francisco to San Ramon. PROJECT DESCRIPTION The proposed PMC amendments would rescind Ordinance 145 and would allow the keeping of honey bees as a permitted use on A zoned land, on properties with detached, single-family homes located in the R-1 (One-Family Residential) zoning district and RM (Multi-Family Residential) zoning district, and on properties with detached, single-family homes located in the Downtown Specific Plan Area. In general, staff believes beekeeping should be permitted on all properties with detached single-family homes in the City and on A zoned land. The following discussion summarizes information related to bee behavior, beekeeping, and potential risks and benefits of beekeeping. Please refer to the January 28, 2015 Planning Commission Staff Report (Attachment 2) for additional detail, including illustrations of bees and beekeeping equipment. Honey Bees Apis mellifera is the most common domesticated species of bees. The Apis mellifera is a European or Italian bee, which is more commonly known as the honey bee, and has been bred to be docile and well-adapted to honey production. During the summer, approximately 60,000 or more honey bees can reside in a hive. Within the hive, the colony is made up of three different types of bees, each with different functions: worker, drone, and queen. The worker bees make up the majority of the hive's population and are all female. These bees are the smallest of the three bee types and are the bees that are most commonly seen as they are the bees foraging for food for the hive. The worker bees do not typically travel beyond a two- to three-mile radius from the hive and only live 45 days. The drone bees are all male, and rarely leave the hive, as their only purpose is to mate with the queen bee. Bees will only allow one queen bee per colony and the queen is the largest of the three types of bees. The queen is the only female with fully developed ovaries and her purpose is to produce chemical scents that help regulate the unity of the colony and to lay eggs. Queen bees can live up to five years, but they are typically replaced by beekeepers after a few seasons to ensure maximum productivity. Page 2 of 9