Des Moines rethinks right-of-way garden restrictions

Des Moines City Council wants to explore allowing people to use right-of-ways alongside sidewalks and streets more widely as gardens.

Why it matters: Residents and neighborhood groups use public right-of-ways for beautification projects, but the city regulates which kinds of plants can go where for safety reasons.

Yes, but: There are ongoing questions about the fairness of those restrictions, which allow vegetation like yuccas and marigolds but restrict others, like tomato plants, city engineer Steve Naber tells Axios.

Driving the news: Some council members want to reassess the rules again, likely resulting in fewer restrictions, Naber said.

• Pending the review, the council unanimously agreed last month to put a moratorium on enforcement.

Catch up quick: Garden and landscaping restrictions are intended to keep the areas — primarily those between sidewalks and streets — clear for public utilities and views of oncoming traffic.

• The City Council eased restrictions about five years ago to allow some flowers and native plantings to grow beyond a 36-inch height restriction to accommodate citizen requests.

Plus: In 2021, the city's food security task force recommended it go further with an ordinance that allows residents who live near public right-of-ways to plant fruit and vegetable crops in those spaces.

What's next: DSM is reviewing ordinances in other cities and will return to the council for further discussion in the coming months, Naber said.