MINI-PANTRY/LITTLE FREE PANTRY STRUCTURES
Small boxes that house food and
other grocery/household items that are based on a “give what you can, take what
you need” principle are known as Little Free Pantries and are considered an
accessory use. Prince George’s County
has zoning authority within the Washington Regional District, which encompasses
the City of New Carrollton. Accordingly,
any such structure must comply with applicable Prince George’s County zoning
regulations and permit requirements.
REGULATIONS
A.
Mini-pantry Structures:
- Shall
be located on private property and not within public spaces.
- Shall
not be located within or overhang a public street right-of-way, sidewalk
or public easement.
- Shall
be sound and secure.
- Shall
not obstruct vehicular, bicycle or pedestrian traffic, either physically,
or by a person utilizing the mini-pantry.
- May
be placed in a required front yard (area between the front wall of a
building and the public street right-of-way) provided that it is located
at least 3 feet from the front property line and 5 feet from any portion
of a driveway. If the property is a
corner lot, an additional 5 foot setback is required so as not to
impair drivers line of sight.
- Structures
shall not exceed 5 feet in height.
- The
interior area of the structure in which food is placed shall not be larger
than 20 inches wide by 15 inches deep by 18 inches tall.
- Shall
be anchored to the ground or otherwise securely attached to something
having a permanent location on the ground.
- Shall
not constitute an adaptive reuse of furniture or appliances.
- Shall
not be located at intervals of less than 1,000 feet apart or one block
apart, whichever is greater. One
block equals the distance between two intersections of the street on which
the structure will be located.
- Shall
not be painted in a color scheme that is similar to the U.S. Post Office
Service.
B.
Registration
1. All mini-pantry structures shall be
registered with the City of New Carrollton. There shall be no registration fee.
2. The person registering
the structure shall be the owner of the property on which the structure is proposed.
3. The registrant shall
submit a site plan or plat plan that shows the location of the proposed
structure.
- The
owner of the property on which the structure is proposed shall be
responsible for the maintenance, repair and upkeep of the structure, which
shall include but not be limited to painting of the structure, repairing
broken signage and repairing any portion of the structure, including the
door, when broken. In the event
that the City determines that the structure is unsafe or is not being
properly maintained, the City shall so notify the property owner. If the property owner fails to correct
the issue(s), then the City shall be authorized to remove the structure.
- The
property owner shall monitor the items that are placed in the structure to
ensure that:
a.
There are no perishable
items or items past their sell-by or best-by date in the structure,
b.
Although personal care
items may be offered, no medicine,
including over the counter medicines, chemicals,
sharps (razors) or illegal substances are in the structure,
c.
Cans are not bulging and
leaking (especially during extreme temperatures), and
d.
The mini-pantry is a
safe, neat space.
6.
If the structure is
deemed a nuisance by the City of New Carrollton or it violates the City of New
Carrollton Code, the owner shall remove the structure upon request of the City.
Click here for a downloadable version of this notice.
To register a pantry click here.
** If digging, call Miss Utility to mark all
underground utilities in the immediate area of the proposed placement of the
mini-pantry.