6.16.100 - General requirements for domestic beekeeping.

A.

An apiary, consisting of not more than three (3) hives or an equivalent capacity, may be maintained in a side yard or rear yard of a parcel in single-family residential (R1) zones having a minimum lot area of four thousand five hundred (4,500) square feet.

B.

Residents renting or leasing property shall be required to submit a notarized affidavit from the property owner granting the applicant permission to maintain an apiary.

C.

All apiaries shall comply with Salt Lake County health department regulations, as amended.

D.

Parcels in single-family residential zones that contain more than two residential dwelling units or a non-conforming multifamily structures shall not be eligible to maintain an apiary.

E.

Each beekeeper shall be registered with the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food as provided in the Utah Bee Inspection Act set forth in Utah Code, as amended. Proof of registration shall be sent to the city.

F.

Apiaries shall be placed on property so the general flight pattern of bees is in a direction that will deter bee contact with humans and domesticated animals.

G.

If any portion of an apiary is located within fifteen (15) feet from an area which provides public access or from a property line on the lot where an apiary is located, as measured from the nearest point on the hive to the property line, a flyway barrier of at least six feet in height shall be established and maintained around the hive except as needed to allow access. Such flyway, if located along the property line or within five feet of the property line, shall consist of a solid wall, fence, dense vegetation, or a combination thereof, which extends at least ten (10) feet beyond the hive in each direction so that bees are forced to fly to an elevation of at least six feet above ground level over property lines in the vicinity of the apiary.

H.

Each beekeeper shall ensure that a convenient source of water is available to the colony in a manner which is appropriate for providing water to bees, continuously between March 1 and October 31 of each year. The water shall be in a location that minimizes any nuisance created by bees seeking water on neighboring property.

I.

Each beekeeper shall ensure that no bee comb or other beekeeping equipment is left upon the grounds of an apiary site. Upon removal from a hive, all such equipment shall promptly be disposed of in a sealed container or placed within a building or other bee-proof enclosure.

J.

The keeping of bees for commercial enterprises is prohibited in any zone outside of the agricultural (A-1) zone.

(Ord. No. 2015-04, 4-22-2015)