The San Diego County Board of Supervisors on Wednesday approved a program that will allow local businesses to provide food and products in incorporated areas with less red tape.
On a 4-0 vote — Chairwoman Kristin Gaspar was absent — the board signed off on the fee waiver pilot program for food trucks and other small agricultural businesses wanting to participate in community events.
In related actions, the board voted 4-0 to establish urban agriculture incentive zones, which will allow a property owner to use vacant, unimproved or blighted land for agricultural crops in exchange for a potential tax benefit. That program is anticipated to take up to 15 months to develop, but Supervisor Dianne Jacob encouraged staff to work on a quicker rollout.
County officials said both board actions will strengthen the local agriculture economy.
The county will consider possible code and zoning rules changes to further streamline regulations for small-scale agricultural entrepreneurs, said Steve Schmidt, spokesman for Jacob’s office.
— City News Service
