Can you check out my petition for HOA to allow Backyard chickens?

[caseynjason]

Hi everyone! I have learned so much about chickens from this website and this forum, and as much as we would love to have our own piece of land, we just can't as of yet. We have plans to in the next few years, but until then, we are doing as much sustainability and urban homesteading as we can in our own backyard. Our city allows chickens, but our HOA does not. I know this is a battle, but I am determined to educate my community and share the beauty of a whole foods and sustainable lifestyle.

I wrote up a petition and found a cute pamphlet on backyard chickens that I will hand out when I go door to door. What do you guys think? I already have a meeting set up with the HOA directors for next month's meeting for me to address my petition. The sad thing is, our HOA is made up of volunteer presidents and such who just take over when the other person is tired of doing it, and no one comes to the meetings. Usually the president is a stubborn power-tripper who likes to enforce rules. I am hoping to appeal to the neighbors first, then have supporters addressing petition at the HOA meeting.

Can you check it out for me and let me know what you think? Thanks so much! Anything else I should do or add would be great!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/11fGQz68D1jvw4rrJwYsMxylpUluBX4pIggcAVxz7q-c/pub

Here is the pamphlet:

http://www.urbanfarmliving.com/downloads/IntroChickenTriFold.pdf

 

[beb444]

That looks really good! Just make sure that the picture of the coop is visible-as I could not see it. Hope HOA allows it!

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Personally, I would have a problem with your proposal. Why not simply restate your city's requirements and address any additional HOA concerns such as noise, odor or unsightliness? There are many ways to build an adequate and safe coop that do not conform to your overzealous requirements. Don't provide space requirements in excess of what the city does.

What the HOA is concerned with is the appearance and location of the coop, along with nuisance issues. You address some of those nuisances, but you need to be more specific about appearance so that the coop is not an eyesore--it could be screened with plants, painted to match the colour of the house or similar. You may want to specify it being farther from the property line and adjacent residences than city code requires.

As soon as you start talking about overcrowned cities, overburdended food corporations, low quality food and inhumne practices, some of those people you are trying to impress will be turned off and not listen any further. It is fine to say you are wanting to raise higher quality, natural or organic foods, and living a sustainable lifestyle...that is positive, but when you say negative things, you turn people off.

Likewise, it is fine to say that feed must be stored in a manner so that it will not draw pests, it is another to specifically mention various pests several times over--that just makes people think that they will be bringing those specific problems to the neighborhood, and the reality is, that allowing chickens will not, so keep it simple. You also go too much into manure disposal--simply say that it must be composted or disposed of in a sanitary manner.

If I want to contain my birds in a covered tractor that is only 2' high, that should not be a problem. No way could I move a 4' tall tractor around, and a 4' fence would allow many birds to fly out. Simply stating that they need to be contained on the resident's property at all times should be enough, unless you think the location for ranging needs to be further limited (such as behind a privacy fence)

 

[Saltyairmama]

Any newer info?

 

[Brooks_]

Any newer info?

OP made the one post in 2016, so probably nothing new.