City Chicken article ! (Illinois)

[EweSheep]

Heres the newspaper link I read in Sundays paper! Its great but very vague in the premises coding......

http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_action=doc&p_docid=1215A15BDE3A7EB0&p_docnum=3

 

[happyhen]

The link won't work for me

. I'd love to read that.

 

[Bricheze]

Didn't work for me either

 

[EweSheep]

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Herald & Review (Decatur, IL)


June 15, 2008
Section: Home
Page: E1



Some farm animals OK in city

By KRISTY MELLENDORF

H&R Staff Writer
DECATUR - The word "pet" often conjures up images of dogs and cats or maybe a parrot or a gerbil. A horse or chicken rarely come to mind.


Kristen Horton, director of Macon County Animal Control, said she has received a few phone calls about horses in town.

"Horses are now considered companion animals," Horton said.

The horse is considered legal as long as it is not running loose and fits with the Department of Agriculture�s shelter regulation. That requires a roof and three walls to protect the horse from the weather.

Horton is not the only person who has received calls. Daniel Lightner, county planning and zoning administrator, said he sometimes gets reports about farm animals in the community.

"It is usually someone saying that an animal is present, say a horse, and they don�t know if its allowed," Lightner said.

After such a call, the office investigates. It is not illegal to keep farm animals in the community, but the property must be properly zoned for them. If a violation is found, the only way to keep the animal is to rezone the property.

"We�ve had six (zoning) requests that originated from (farm animals)," Lightner said.

If the property owner agrees to rezone the property, the process will take two months. During that time, the owner is allowed to keep the animal on the property.

The most common zoning issues result in becoming an RE5, or a single family estate. The qualifications for a single family estate include a house that is inhabited only by one family, with a garage that holds no more than four cars. This zoning allows for quadrupeds to be raised on the property. That includes goats, horses and mules.

The other property classification allowing farm animals is the A1 agricultural district. This has a minimum property size of two acres.

Any swine on property is completely forbidden, which includes pot-bellied pigs. Chickens and rabbits are allowed, so long as they are kept at a minimum distance of 75 feet from the dwelling of the owner.

Horton said he often has taken on the role of the educator in the community. "I haven�t had any problems with anyone complying," he said.

Kristy Mellendorf can be reached at [email protected] or 421-6977.

Copyright, 2008, Herald & Review, Decatur, IL

 

[happyhen]

It does seem vague, but with lots of room for variances.

Thanks

 

[Cetawin]

It is vague only in that the newspaper did not print everything I am sure. There is a ton of room for play in that. They are re-zoning fairly easy, which will depend on your exact zoning. I would go to zoning and get a copy of exactly what is in the works and on the board now.

 

[EweSheep]

I already got the ordiance before I got my chickens five years ago.....the ordiance says it is illegial to have poultry EXCEPT if you are 75 feet from the neighbors LIVING premises or dwelling, meaning (to me) the house they live in, not their garages or sheds. My neighbor behind me has rabbits and he and I are 75 ft from one neighbor and 65 on other neighbors and never had any complaints. However the city guy did come out one time because of the smelly compost pile that the neighbors were complaining and the compost pile didnt have any smell....what it was is the decaying circular matter from our above ground pool when we removed it to put it away for the year....it stunk and I figured by overnight it will dry out. But no, the neighbors complained saying it was the chickens but city guy didnt find any odors or smell coming off from my coop nor my compost pile. So as soon as he left, I laid down lime in the decayed circle and the smell is gone by afternoon. From then on, as the city guy suggested, to keep peace with the neighbors, bag up the compost and keep up the good work on the chickens even I am bending the rules on other side of the yard of neighbors living less than 75 feet. I had permission to have chickens from both neighbors on my yard and never had any complaints except for one (hes an old man and in ill health anyway).


This year we put our pool back up and I will be ready with lime down once we pull the pool off from the ground.

I am not sure where we are zoned but we do not have a garage but a large lot but I have five other city chicken folks here that is even LESS than the ordiance stated and one is next door to a church and another one is next to apartment. So they are doing well and no roosters in our lots. The ordiance didnt say NO roosters but have a noise against cars, dogs barking, loud music, on going parties.