Town Concil's Concerns

Do you have any other local ordinances for council to look at as "inspiration" ? The key I think would be calming their fears, getting community support and showing other areas that have done this with success.

Hi to RI, I lived in Providence for almost 2 years and worked in Warwick on a contract for Citizens Bank and loved RI!!  I live in a city (Roanoke, VA) and we are allowed to have no more than 10 chickens.  My property is less than .17 acres, 50 by 100 ft and almost 7500 sqft.  A neighboring town (Salem, VA) is about to pass an ordinace to keep chickens:

 

SALEM, VA. -

Salem's City Council is considering allowing backyard chicken keeping in the city, with restrictions.

A proposed ordinance would allow up to six chickens on lots that are at least a quarter-acre. The proposal also restricts where coops can be placed on property and limits their size to no more than 64 square feet. Roosters wouldn't be allowed.

Chicken keepers also would have to obtain a $25 annual permit from the city.

 

Good luck!! 

I hope you are having luck.  I found this thread as Salem, VA is my future home town and I've been reading the chicken issues there.  I've been looking forward to getting some finally and was happy to see Salem is good with hens--and realized how close it might have been to not being okay.  Apparently there was a discrepancy between the city code and zoning laws (discovered after a neighbor complained).

 

http://www.salemva.gov/government/citymgr/KEEPING_OF_CHICKENS_APPLICATION-FILL_IN(2).pdf  is a copy of the license application which describes the final decisions regarding 'pen size' and setbacks.

 

http://www.ci.salem.va.us/depts/planning/agendas/2012/minutes5-16-12.pdf is a hoot to read--I'm guessing this is what small town politics are like when reading 'unapproved minutes'.  Just read down and you start seeing what people stood up and said.  I can't wait to meet some of these people (one lives near the house we are moving to).

 

It looks like some of the commentary was taken into consideration given the final results.  This is the final code/ordinance/whatever the legals call it.  http://library.municode.com/index.aspx?clientId=11522  Type in chicken to the search box and follow links to  Sec. 106-318.1. - Keeping of chickens, which reflects what is seen on the license application.

 

Okay, this is my first post here and I have no idea how I just changed my font and color  (and apparently line spacing) with that cut and paste.

 

Oh well, I was excited to see this thread when googling, and I hope you are having luck.  If nothing else the links might give some information regarding your locality. 

 

 

Cathy

One thing to point out is that most existing nuisance codes would also deal with any nuisances created by a person's chickens.  Ask them what possible nuisances they feel would not already be covered by existing code?  Chances are that anything and everything they come up with is already covered.