Story with buzz: Fayette to remain mostly hands off with private ‘bees-ness’

Fayette County beekeepers won’t have too many new rules to meet after all.

Instead of a slate of regulations proposed by county staff, the county commission, at its July 28 meeting, crafted an allowance for beekeeping to be allowed in all residential zoning districts.

Prior to the adoption of the new ordinance, beekeeping was only allowed on lots zoned for agriculture reserve.

The new ordinance also allows residents to sell honey on the premises without needing a home occupation permit.

The commission’s action was in line with the request from a handful of local beekeepers, who argued that the staff-proposed restrictions weren’t necessary. Among those restrictions was a limit on the number of beehives, but beekeepers noted that the numbers are “self regulating” because if there is not enough food in a given area for the bees, many will die.

The new ordinance includes a provision that the beekeeping equipment and hives meet all of the county’s setback rules for whichever zoning district the home is in. Also, the ordinance includes a 30-day time period for beekeepers to resolve any problems before a citation can be written.

The unanimous vote to adopt the new ordinance was met with cheers from the audience.