In most municipalities, accessory structures are defined as detached structures secondary to primary structures.* This implies that the existence of accessory structures is dependent on the presence of a primary structure, however some urban food cultivation sites do not have a primary structure. This presents difficulties with utilizing storage sheds, greenhouses, hoop houses (also sometimes called “membrane structures, for the plastic spread over the frames), and other structures relevant to urban agriculture because it is unclear 1) whether they are allowed without a primary structure on the lot, and 2) which building and zoning code standards they need to meet.
*Primary structures are usually a building where the main use of the lot occurs (e.g. a house in a residentially zoned area)
