Borough bee ban finally overturned
About three years after a grassroots effort began to overturn Allendale's beekeeping ban, the borough's prohibition of the practice was lifted last Thursday following a unanimous council vote.
The council members' move to lift the beekeeping ban, one of three in place in New Jersey, also set up a series of regulations to govern the practice.
Before applying for one of the four beekeeping licenses, a person must notify all property owners within 200 feet about their intention. The property owners then have 15 days after receiving the notification to protest to the Board of Health, and the license would be denied if an objection is made.
The number of bee colonies permitted on a property is determined by a sliding scale, ranging from one colony on a quarter-acre lot to six colonies on a tract over one acre. The regulations also set up the mayor and council as the body that would rule in any cases of alleged code violations. If a beekeeper is found to have violated the regulations, penalties include destruction of the bee colony or its removal from the borough for up to 20 days.
The movement to overturn the ban was led by resident Dianne DiBlasi and the Team B.E.E.S. (Bergen Environmental Effort to Save Bees) organization, which explained the environmental impact the lack of honey bees has had in the area.
"I promise that you will be amazed at your flower gardens and vegetable gardens," DiBlasi said after the vote.