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bringing a proposed PMC amendment to the Planning Commission for review and <br /> recommendation to the City Council. <br /> Planning Commission Work Session <br /> At the October 8, 2014 Planning Commission meeting, staff informed the Planning <br /> Commission of: (1) the potential benefits of beekeeping; (2) considerations for allowing <br /> beekeeping in residential areas in Pleasanton; and (3) information on other jurisdictions <br /> that allow for beekeeping. After a short presentation from staff and testimony from <br /> David Browne, the Commission directed staff to provide the following information should <br /> a proposed PMC amendment be formally presented to the Planning Commission. <br /> The Planning Commission requests/questions are noted in italics with staff's response <br /> thereafter. <br /> 1. Provide a spreadsheet of beekeeping regulations for other cities in the Tri-Valley <br /> area. <br /> Staff has included in this staff report a spreadsheet summarizing the beekeeping <br /> regulations in of five representative cities in California, including the only two cities in <br /> the Tri-Valley that allow beekeeping in residential areas (see Exhibit B). In general, <br /> many cities in California and throughout the U.S. permit beekeeping, and staff has <br /> identified few reported problems. The cities of Livermore and Fremont have had <br /> regulations in place for beekeeping in residential zoning districts for a few decades. <br /> Both cities require a fanciers permit prior to keeping bees, secured through their <br /> respective police departments. Fremont reported one incident in the last seven <br /> years where a beekeeper stopped maintaining the hive and the bees swarmed. <br /> Fremont noted that there were not any reports of people being stung as a result of <br /> this incident. Livermore reported no incidents, likely a function of a beekeeping <br /> ordinance that restricts beekeeping to only a few properties. <br /> The cities of Napa, San Ramon, and Santa Monica have adopted regulations in the <br /> last one to five years to allow beekeeping in residential zoning districts. Napa and <br /> San Ramon permit residential beekeeping by right and Santa Monica requires <br /> registration through their respective animal control/services division. None of these <br /> three cities had incidents to report. <br /> Exhibit B includes the spreadsheet summarizing staff's research on beekeeping <br /> regulations and reported incidents in five representative cities, along with a matrix <br /> prepared by the League of California Cities' Housing, Community & Economic <br /> Development (HCED) of other communities that have residential beekeeping <br /> regulations. <br /> 2. What licensing and permit requirements would he necessary in order to receive a <br /> beekeeping license and how are people trained to manage issues that occur as a <br /> result of beekeeping? <br /> P14-1276, Beekeeping Planning Commission <br /> Page 2 of 13 <br />