Costa Mesa residents may soon be able to host beehives at their homes as city officials gear up to overhaul local laws.
It comes after nearly two years of trying to draft an ordinance for private beehives in Costa Mesa.
The proposal was revived after public interest in beekeeping with city council members taking the first steps in allowing residential beekeepers to operate in their yards by unanimously voting on creating a beekeeping permitting process.
City spokesman Tony Dodero said the proposal is tentatively scheduled to be considered at teh Nov. 19 meeting.
If passed, Costa Mesa will join other OC cities like Fullerton who passed a residential beekeeping ordinance in 2018.
Buena Park started allowing beekeeping over the summer.
[Read: Buena Park Lets Residents Own Chickens and Beehives]
Liz Savage, president of the OC Beekeepers Association, a non profit organization, said she was part of the process when the council started considering what the ordinance could look like in Costa Mesa, but ultimately was not part of the ad hoc committee.
“I was surprised it was under the Costa Mesa Police Department. Their time is more valued at traffic and crime,” Savage said.
She said the council seems receptive and is moving in the right direction.
Their club meets across the street from the city council chambers at the OC Fairgrounds.
“None of us are bee experts but we’re grappling for something safe,” Councilman Don Harper said during a city council meeting on Oct. 1.
Councilman Loren Gameros asked staff to look into some changes to the proposal, including removing signage, not requiring training, lowering the permit fee, nixing square footage limits in yards and not asking residents to sign off on their neighbors having a beehive.
One of the main concerns local beekeepers voiced during the city council meeting on Oct. 1 was the potential fear if beehive signs were required by city officials.
Some residents pointed out that delivery drivers and mail carriers could sue homeowners if they were stung near their house.
Another issue mentioned during public comment was the proposed requirement of having neighbors signoff on the beehive.
As proposed, if a neighbor proves they have a severe allergy to bees the city could deny residents a beekeeping permit.
Police Lt. Stephanie Selinske, the animal services manager, said the city plans on closely following Fullerton’s best practices and policies, which currently runs on a complaint based process.
Mayor John Stephens said there needs to be a way for staff to deny it if there’s a reason for health issues for neighbors.
“If it’s a legitimate health issue of a neighboring property there shouldn’t be bees,” Stephens said at the Oct. 1 meeting. “I don’t think we should kid ourselves. There are people that are allergic to bees and could die if they got stung.”
Councilwoman Arlis Reynolds also asked staff to bring back a way to grandfather in beekeepers who have been illegally keeping beehives in their yards.
During the meeting, Councilwoman Andrea Marr admitted to having kept a makeshift beehive at one point.
Another change the council hopes staff will bring back for the second reading is to expand the permits to include more than single family residential zones.
Councilman Don Harper urged city staff to work with beekeepers to make the proposed ordinance better.
Gigi Gradillas is a Voice of OC Tracy Wood Reporting Fellow. Contact her at gigi.gradillas@gmail.com or on Twitter @gigigradillas.
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