Yes, here is an update. This is a letter I sent out recently to supporters on behalf of our group which is working to eliminate or simplify the arduous chicken permitting process:
Chicken Project Members,
Several of us have been working hard to get our agenda considered by City Council to eliminate or simplify the permitting process for food-producing animals. We have met with planning and zoning officials, three city councilmembers and we have a scheduled meeting with staff from "Greenprint Denver" of the Mayor's Office. In the process we have significantly raised their awareness to our cause and to sustainability issues in general. (There are many other great groups doing the same, but we are primarily focused on changing the animal permitting laws.)
We realized early on that one of our best allies would be Councilman Chris Nevitt of West Washington Park because he is the chairman of the City Council's Greenprint Committee and is very environmentally aware. Councilman Nevitt did agree with us that the permitting process is crazy and he did resolve to help us change it.
What happened next is that he proposed a change to the law that was scheduled to be considered by his City Council Greenprint Committee next week. However, the change was minimal and not acceptable to us (he explained that it would be difficult or impossible to get anything more comprehensive through Council on such short notice). Meanwhile, he and others in the City were telling us (1) that there are so many sustainable causes that want to be considered that it is hard for them to justify considering our cause alone, and (2) Blueprint Denver is finished and this year the administration and Council will be dedicated to creating and implementing new zoning based on this. It was recommended that our cause be considered along with many other agricultural and environmental causes throughout this year, and that a comprehensive revision to City ordinances be proposed and considered next year to address these issues. Thus, as much as we would like to push our cause through now, it no longer seems realistic to continue to do so.
However, what we have learned in this process is that the energy behind our cause and all the other related causes is very high as is the genuine interest in these causes by most of the people with whom we have interacted in the City. The sustainability movement in the Denver metropolitan region is unstoppable. And I cannot give up this fight because I don't have my chickens or goats yet.
Meanwhile, we must not relax our guard and must continue to galvanize support for our cause. Already I have heard rumblings of dark forces who believe that sweet, quiet, egg-laying hens are a threat to the social fabric of the City. Seriously, I have received sporadic reports of neighbors organizing to oppose the applications of those who are seeking permits or to ban chickens from the City entirely! Thus we are likely to call on you to make your voices heard in some manner in the months to come.
Lastly, please keep me posted on any issues relating to this confounding permitting process and to anyone busted for illegal chickens. (A chicken cannot be illegal!) And if you know of anyone else who wants to get involved or just stay tuned be sure to refer them to me, John Beauparlant or Sundari Kraft. I also administer the website
www.denverbackyardfarms.org and can feature any issues there that are appropriate and that will galvanize the public to support our cause.
James
