Baytown Texas ordinance change, distance from coop to neighbors residences doubled.

[jakedaniel]

No pain for myself, the City accepted my argument and agreed that my property should and will be considered to be “grandfathered”, and they put that in writing on official letterhead signed by the guy in charge of the City Health Dept. so if I get a new neighbor a few years from now that decides to complain I can just show that letter to the Code Enforcement officer who comes out and put an end to that. The pain is for any chicken owners who don’t know about the rule change that get complained on 5 years or more from now when it’ll be a lot harder to prove that they had the coop in before the ordinance change and it’s also for folks who might want to start with chickens around here who will no longer be able to because with a 200’ setback requirement backyard chickens are now illegal for the VAST majority of property owners. There’s really no fighting it, either. COVID means no way to ACTUALLY attend City Council meetings and since these changes weren’t discussed publicly or reported on there was no way to know in advance that they were coming so no way to fight it.

Basically it looks like the City just wanted to outlaw backyard chickens without LITERALLY outlawing them and also wanted to do it without having a discussion about it, and it seems to me like they succeeded. Oh well, at least I’m grandfathered, so I should just be happy with what I’ve got.

 

[MollyBee88]

Here's the law after the change, (BTW, I edited out the subsections not having to do with chickens).

Sec. 14-8. - Certain animals restricted.
(a)
Prohibited. Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, it shall be unlawful for any person to intentionally or knowingly keep or maintain the following within the city limits:
(2)
Livestock, rabbits or fowl within 200 feet of a private residence the person has no right to occupy;
(3)
Livestock or fowl within 300 feet of a church, school, hospital or public place where food is sold or consumed

(b)

Restricted. The animals enumerated in subsection (b)(2) on property held, used or zoned for noncommercial purposes are permitted if the required number of animal points are accumulated. Animal points shall be calculated as follows:

Animal points calculation. The quantity of animals permitted on a property shall be determined on the basis of 50 animal points per vacant acre (e.g., 0.50 acres x 50 = 25 animal points; 1.45 acres x 50 = 72 animal points).
(2)
Animals permitted. Based upon the number of animal points calculated pursuant to subsection (b)(l) of this section, the following animals may be permitted on property held, used or zoned for noncommercial purposes if there is a sufficient number of cumulative animal points based upon the following:
EXPAND
���

Type of Animal	Number of Points per Animal
Horse or cattle ..... 25
Sheep or goat ..... 10
Chicken, duck, goose, pigeon, rabbit and other small animal ..... 5

Exceptions. Subsections (a) and (b) shall not apply to:
(6)
The raising or keeping of six or fewer chickens, excluding roosters, maintained in any pen, shed, coop, enclosed structure, or fenced yard, which is:
a.
Located at least 200 feet from a residential structure; and
b.
Maintained in such a manner as to not give off odors offensive to persons of ordinary sensibilities residing in the area, or breed or attract flies, mosquitoes or other noxious insects or rodents, or in any manner to endanger the public health, safety or welfare, or to create a public nuisance.
( Ord. No. 14,458 , § 2, 8-13-20)

Don’t they realize that chickens EAT flies, mosquitoes, insects & rodents?

 

[U_Stormcrow]

OK, bad as that is, its not as bad as it could have been. Its a 200' setback from a residence (not yours), not a 200' setback from a property line - which would require a square property of at least 4 acres!!!

Wise of you to get the city letterhead showing you to be grandfathered by the Ordinance change. Good luck in your future flock owning!