Brevard County FL - Ordinance Change - Second (and hopefully final) reading - Meeting on 12/6/2012

avidhomestead

In the Brooder
8 Years
Nov 12, 2011
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Brevard County, FL
Tomorrow evening at the Viera Government Center the second and FINAL LEGAL READING of code for backyard chickens will be heard at the Planning and Zoning Board meeting from 5pm - 7pm, Thursday December 6, 2012. While the second legal reading will be the final process in securing code change for backyard chickens in Brevard County Florida, the final version of code is far from concluded. Here is what has been proposed:

http://www.avidhomestead.com/new-code-for-brevard-county-allowing-backyard-chickens.aspx

SUCCINCTLY STATED: Four hens per .5 acres beginning with residential properties in un-incorporated Brevard (outside of any city limits) that would be provided some sort of housing structure set back 10 feet from the property line. Chickens should be raised for non-commercial purposes with no slaughtering allowed on the properties.

Persons who are interested in seeing exisiting code amended to allow backyard chickens should contact the Brevard County Board of Commissioners to show your support. This has been a year long campaign to bring this change to Brevard County and we are hoping for success tomorrow evening but we could NEVER have gotten this far without the support and encouragement of the wonderful activist citizens who transformed this campaign from a mere thought into action and finally sucess!!!

District 1
Commissioner Robin Fisher
Ph: (321) 264-6750
.Email Commissioner: [email protected]

District 2 (Chairman)
Commissioner Chuck Nelson
Ph: (321) 454-6601
Email Commissioner [email protected]

District 3
Commissioner Trudie Infantini
Ph: (321) 952-6300
Email Commissioner [email protected]

District 4
Commissioner Mary Bolin Lewis
Ph: (321) 633-2044
Email Commissioner [email protected]

District 5 (Vice Chairman)
Commissioner Andy Anderson
Ph: (321) 253-6611
Email Commissioner D5.Commissioner@brevardcounty.us
 
The backyard chicken initiative was approved in Brevard County by the Board of County Commissioners with a vote of 4 in favor / 1 opposed. The commissioner and lone nay-sayer was District 2 Commissioner Chuck Nelson who has stated that he has merely "a philosophical difference of opinion" regarding chickens. Mr. Nelson's opinion is that "chickens are farm animals, like cows" (FL Today April 2012) and has gone so far as to try and discredit chickens as potential polluters as the county is seeking to ban or limit the use of fertilizers on private property. Mr. Nelson sent out this fear-mongering email in a last minute attempt to sabotage code change in Brevard County Florida. His email is copied below:

From: Nelson, Chuck S
Sent: Tuesday, December 04, 2012 10:14 AM
To: Nelson, Chuck S
Subject: Backyard Chickens Ordinance

Dear Friends,

On Thursday night the County Commission will conduct the second of two Public Hearings to consider changes to a Brevard County Ordinance that determines how many chickens (fowl) you can have in your backyard. Currently, County Code allows one chicken on single family residential properties. The proposed change would allow four chickens per one half acre.

But that’s only the current proposal. At the First Public Hearing, Commissioner Infantini said “I thought everybody who had UP to one-half acre would be entitled to four chickens, because that hasn’t provided any relief for anybody as best I know. I mean, it’s for people with a lot of land you’ve got relief, but anybody with a quarter-acre, eighth of an acre, they’re not going to have any benefit from this at all.” (Minutes attached) I fully expect that Commissioner Infantini will attempt to convince the Board to allow more chickens on smaller lots.

I believe the existing ordinance is adequate and does not need to be changed. Chickens have the potential to carry and transmit diseases, will introduce issues of noise and odors into neighborhoods and add unwanted nutrients to stormwater runoff, especially from waterfront properties. I’m sure many of your subdivision covenants and deed restrictions don’t allow fowl, yet approval by the County will now require you to sue your neighbor to get relief.

I need your help! The right to enjoy your own property should be as precious as your neighbors. If you are concerned with the potential impact this change could have on your neighborhood, please email all County Commissioners and, if possible, attend the meeting. Please feel free to share this email with your fellow homeowners.

The existing ordinance has worked for over 30 years…….let’s leave it that way!

Sincerely,

Chuck Nelson, Commissioner
Brevard County District 2



Brevard County Zoning Hearing – 5:00 P.M.
2575 Judge Fran Jamison Way
Viera
Building C, first floor, Commission Chambers

BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
 
We live in Rockledge, outside of city limits on 0.5 acres. Assuming we are part of unincorporated Brevard County, what are the steps that we need to take to be legal? Do we have to obtain permits? Any info would be great before we go through the trouble of building a coop and lining up hens.
 

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