Paulina Pineda, PRESS DEMOCRAT
Santa Rosa has released a draft set of rules that would legalize backyard beekeeping, a proposal spurred by a young boy and his family who helped champion residents’ rights to raise bees in the city.
The new regulations would set standards for colony limits, hive placement and maintenance as well as guidelines for small-scale honey sales.
The ordinance also would require beekeepers to display their name and telephone number at the property in case of any issues. It outlines enforcement provisions if beekeepers violate the code.
Community members for the better part of a year have urged the city to update its zoning code after then 9-year-old Nicholas Bard and his family were ordered to relocate their hive — a decision that has since been rescinded as staff worked on the new policies.