UPDATE: West Des Moines Leaders Say They Won't Squash Some Vegetable Growers’ Plans

A resident has withdrawn complaints that prompted West Des Moines city officials to consider an ordinance that would squash some vegetable growers’ gardening plans.

Mayor Steve Gaer told the Des Moines Register that city officials are going to drop plans to regulate front-yard gardens.

Previously, Patch reported:

West Des Moines resident Donald McNutt complained to city officials in October that his neighbors created an eyesore by growing corn and other decorative vegetables in front of their house. Now, officials are considering an ordinance, the Des Moines Register reported.

McNutt told a West Des Moines City Council code enforcement subcommittee this morning that there’s nothing in city ordinances to prevent someone from “bulldozing their entire front yard and planting a garden.”

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He said the city already restricts’ residents use of their property, so an ordinance against front-yard gardening isn’t without precedent.

The subcommittee last fall directed city staff to prepare an ordinance for the council’s consideration. The ordinance should balance individual property rights and neighborhood aesthetics, Chris Shires, the city's development and inspection manager said. 

The city has only had two complaints about front-yard gardens, according to the newspaper.