Can Someone Translate this Code....

[kmomma]

We are looking at moving to Wagoner, OK and I finally found their city ordinances and this is what it says about chickens. I am a pretty smart person but cannot make sense of the exception. Anyone willing to take on the meaning? Thanks!

"It is unlawful for any person to keep or maintain or suffer to be kept or maintained, any cow, horse, donkey, mule, pig, goat, sheep, goose, chicken, duck, turkey, guinea, or more than one rabbit upon any property or premises within the corporate limits of the City; except that one cow, horse, sheep, goat, donkey, or not more than twelve (12) domestic fowl may be kept in any pen or enclosure for each multiple of seven thousand (7,000) square feet in area of the pen or enclosure which is detached from any dwelling house, provided that such pen or enclosure where such animal or fowl are kept is maintained in a sanitary condition and not offensive or dangerous to the public health."

 

[MeepBeep]

Basically they will allow those limited animals if your yard is big enough to accommodate a detached 7000 sq/ft pen or building... No small run or coop, you would need to designate a 7000 sq/ft area for the chickens, and then be limited to 12 birds per each 7000 sq/ft designated area... I also suspect they might require that the 'pen' to be fully enclosed inside the boundaries of the properly following uniform setback requirements and not allow property line perimeter fencing to be used as the pen...

BUT, it there is a zinger at the end of the exemption, if your neighbor(s) or basically anyone complained that the chickens were 'offensive' they possible could convince the officials to negate your exemption...

 

[kmomma]

Yikes! That is exactly what I was afraid it meant. *sigh* What kind of small rural farm town expects you to have a building bigger than your home to keep animals in...just because you are inside city limits??

Thanks for the insight!!

 

[MeepBeep]

Yikes! That is exactly what I was afraid it meant. *sigh* What kind of small rural farm town expects you to have a building bigger than your home to keep animals in...just because you are inside city limits?? 

I suspect it was a work around to a proposal for a flat prohibition after someone with a bigger lot that had or wanted animals pushed against the prohibition...

 

[Blooie]

Wow! After 2 years on Planning and Zoning and 4 years on town council even I had trouble with that one! MP has it pretty closely, but I also interpret it to mean that you can have 12 fowl for every 7,000 square feet of pen space, which makes me think that they went out of their way to make it as hard as possible for small coops/run to work. Sheesh - they need to look at our chicken ordinance. "There are no restrictions on fowl." I think I'd call or write asking for clarification - in lay terms. And request their response in writing.

It could also mean that your property has to be 7000 square feet to accommodate a pen or enclosure and it's just worded very clumsily. I dunno - this one's a head scratcher.