Just wondering if anyone has been considering going to the county (again) to try and get a specific chicken ordinance outlined. I just read about a case in Oct 2015 where someone was turned in for having a few hens in their HOA neighborhood. They lost, but the board of appeals seemed interested in an ordinance getting on the books. What is most noteworthy is that the county is required to 'hear' any complaint, even anonymous over the phone. That sure is fodder for those who just want to be vengeful or control others without due cause. In the 2015 case it could not be determined just what the complaint was...could have been someone simply annoyed with an HOA violation, but regardless, perhaps the law on what comprises a legitimate complaint should be revised??
My opinion is that Stafford is antiquated with its lack of a clear chicken ordinance. It is rather embarrassing for the county to be behind Spotsylvania and Fredericksburg City if you ask me. Are we not interested in what is sweeping the nation insofar as self-reliance and consuming more natural foods? Perhaps Stafford still wrongly thinks of chicken keeping as a country affair...not sophisticated...
Neighborhoods without HOA's should clearly be permitted to have hens. I'm all for some regulations so we don't end up with a smelly mess in R1 zoned lots, and knowing Stafford, they'll slap an annual fee on those who want to have hens. If they can't profit from it, I'm sure it won't pass, so someone should conduct a search to see how much revenue it would bring in for the county. Also, to avoid the issue in Price William Co. there should not be a ban on killing your chickens. Just like if your dog is at the end of its life and people want to take care of it themselves, chickens won't end up dumped somewhere if folks can dispose of them when the time is right (no longer laying, unhealthy).
It is clear to me Stafford County doesn't want to have this be an issue, but it is only a matter of time. Someone tried in 2013 and then this latest case in Oct 2015. How long can Stafford Co. ignore this issue? Hens are enjoyable to watch (we all agree here!) and they keep bugs down, they produce healthy eggs, are very quiet compared to nearly every dog, and they don't pose a threat like some dogs (in my zip a pit bull viciously attacked a child in recent years-yet this is considered a pet and chickens aren't?? When is the last time you saw or heard of a chicken biting someone and requiring multiple grown men to contain?) I love my cat, but I can't contain her like a chicken either....
I hope someone in Stafford County stumbles upon this, or that those of us keeping chickens ,'quietly', will start to put pressure individually on the Board of Appeals or the Board of Supervisors. Perhaps we can start writing to our Board of Supervisors representatives. I think it is they who can change the way the definitions go or add an ordinance, but I am not certain. It is stated in the minutes of the article I referred to at the start of this note to you all:
http://staffordcountyva.gov/Search/Results?searchPhrase=chickens&page=1&perPage=10
Take care
My opinion is that Stafford is antiquated with its lack of a clear chicken ordinance. It is rather embarrassing for the county to be behind Spotsylvania and Fredericksburg City if you ask me. Are we not interested in what is sweeping the nation insofar as self-reliance and consuming more natural foods? Perhaps Stafford still wrongly thinks of chicken keeping as a country affair...not sophisticated...
Neighborhoods without HOA's should clearly be permitted to have hens. I'm all for some regulations so we don't end up with a smelly mess in R1 zoned lots, and knowing Stafford, they'll slap an annual fee on those who want to have hens. If they can't profit from it, I'm sure it won't pass, so someone should conduct a search to see how much revenue it would bring in for the county. Also, to avoid the issue in Price William Co. there should not be a ban on killing your chickens. Just like if your dog is at the end of its life and people want to take care of it themselves, chickens won't end up dumped somewhere if folks can dispose of them when the time is right (no longer laying, unhealthy).
It is clear to me Stafford County doesn't want to have this be an issue, but it is only a matter of time. Someone tried in 2013 and then this latest case in Oct 2015. How long can Stafford Co. ignore this issue? Hens are enjoyable to watch (we all agree here!) and they keep bugs down, they produce healthy eggs, are very quiet compared to nearly every dog, and they don't pose a threat like some dogs (in my zip a pit bull viciously attacked a child in recent years-yet this is considered a pet and chickens aren't?? When is the last time you saw or heard of a chicken biting someone and requiring multiple grown men to contain?) I love my cat, but I can't contain her like a chicken either....
I hope someone in Stafford County stumbles upon this, or that those of us keeping chickens ,'quietly', will start to put pressure individually on the Board of Appeals or the Board of Supervisors. Perhaps we can start writing to our Board of Supervisors representatives. I think it is they who can change the way the definitions go or add an ordinance, but I am not certain. It is stated in the minutes of the article I referred to at the start of this note to you all:
http://staffordcountyva.gov/Search/Results?searchPhrase=chickens&page=1&perPage=10
Take care
