building ordinance rescrictions prevent me from placing my coop...

[Sonoran Silkies]

BUILDING (STRUCTURE): Anything built for the support, shelter or enclosure of persons, animals, goods, or property of any kind, together with anything constructed or erected with a fixed location on or in the ground, exclusive of fences and wells. The term includes structures temporarily or permanently located, such as decks and satellite dishes.

oh yeah... and when i spoke with code enforcer he said that i can't put it on wheels!?!

You are not constructing a "building (structure)." Your coop will be a large cage that is NOT fixed in location. If worst comes to worst, purchase a larger rabbit hutch from Petsmart.​

 

[poltroon]

Think of your coop more as a dog house with a fenced run and see how that changes how you see the code.

I agree with the tractor plan - no permanent attachment, no permit needed. Plus, no need for a tractor to have wheels, if that's really an objection.

 

[LarryPQ]

Keep in mind the code enforcers are usually not terribly educated people. THat is not intended as an insult---I am just saying it may behoove you to ask several people and the people above them.

 

[Danaus29]

I have to agree with LareePQG on code enforcement officers not being very versed on the codes. We went round and round with ours about our cargo van. He declared it was a commercial vehicle and was registered as such. I tagged and drove it for 10 years prior. You would I would know how my own vehicle is licensed, and it was NOT commercial!

 

[theFox]

Quote:
Baloney!!!!

 

[EweSheep]

Quote:
I agree!

And i secondly agree about having it on wheels....BALONEY!

 

[theFox]

Having paid a visit to the home page of the website for the town in Oxford County that the OP appears to be talking about.

You really need to get a copy of the zoning laws (if any are on the books) for Buckfield.

Your coop is an accessory use building, frequently accessory use buildings used to house animals are exempt from building permits. You have to live with what ever the setback requirements are that the zoning (land use) laws have embedded in them.

Depending upon the legal status of your lot you may also have several grandfathered rights that are even against the current laws.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Hmmm, this is off topic a bit, but it fits into this part of the discussion. Our code requires a rear yard setback of 35 feet. If a structure is both 200 sq ft or less and 8' tall or less, it can be placed in the setback. If it is either larger or taller, it must abide by the setbacks.

Now over the years the rear setbacks have changed at least twice, and variances to build into the setback are possible. There is a fairly good sized guest house that has been in existance for years. It's rear and side setbacks do not fit the current 35' regs, but there was a building permit, so it either met the setbacks at that time or there was a variance issued. Recently they began and completed construction on an addition to the rear of this building. The addition is attached, not a separate structure, and is built way into the setbacks (the rear wall is 3' from the fence line). The addition is 8' tall and 200 sq ft. Because it is attached to the existing building, I believe that it should not fall under the 200 sq ft & 8' tall rule, but rather that the entire building size should be considered. It it were a SEPARATE structure, then yes, but since it EXPANDS an existing building, the whole building needs to meet at least the sebacks from when the building was built. (Note that our code considers structures and buildings separately, demarked by the 200 sq ft x 8' height.

Comments? Does an attached addition expand the existing builting, or is it a separate structure? Separate structure is what our code inspector says

 

[aprophet]

Quote:
I have a friend who used an old u-haul trailer as a coop for a while the inspector would threaten and neighbors moved each others trailers around for about 6 months ( depending on who was home ) LOL the inspector finally gave up LOL

 

[theFox]

"Our code requires a rear yard setback of 35 feet. If a structure is both 200 sq ft or less and 8' tall or less, it can be placed in the setback. If it is either larger or taller, it must abide by the setbacks."

Which was one of the reasons I asked for a link to the laws for the OP's town.

There are tons of exemptions for small or accessory use buildings. Unfortunately her town doesn't post its zoning (land use) laws.

They have to have them if they wish any control over land use.