The above photo shows the bee hives kept by the MRH School District. The photo is taken from a window, inside a Florent Ave. resident’s garage.
If a Maplewood resident wants to keep chickens and or ducks there are ordinances for that. There are no city laws pertaining to the keeping of bees, but there are an unknown number residents with hives. The MRH School District has had bees since 2012 as part of the middle school program, according to the district.
The city council held a work session addressing the issue on August 11. Prior to the meeting city staff wrote some proposed regulations, using ordinances already adopted by Glendale, Webster Groves, Ballwin and Manchester as a reference.
Also in the work session, two residents, who are neighbors of hives, spoke to the council about their experiences. Both had concerns about aggressive bees. One lives on Florent Ave. and one on Gerhard Ave. Their comments and comments of the council are on the YouTube video of the meeting.
City Manager Amber Withycombe said the city staff is working to incorporate that feedback into a revised ordinance, which may be introduced at the October 8 City Council meeting. She said the city plans to regulate all beehives in the city with clear regulations for beekeepers and the city’s inspectors. The draft ordinance will require keepers to obtain a permit.
Sounds good on paper or at the council meeting. This article doesn’t mention the fact that the MRH school district has always ignored local laws and ordinances and does whatever they want.