Denver: Help join effort to change laws allowing chickens

[cockadoodle]

This same topic (regarding Denver specifically) is getting some mention elsewhere

How goes the movement here in Denver btw any updates?

http://www.urbanchickens.net/2009/03/future-of-urban-chicken-advocacy.html

 

[Urbansustainability]

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

 

[Urbansustainability]

another update:

Chicken Project Members,

Great news! A victory was achieved by family doctor Penny Thron-Weber of Park Hill and her husband today before the Board of Adjustment where they were brought up on charges of harboring undocumented chickens. (A chicken cannot be illegal!)

After Penny and her husband spoke, I spoke in support of their appeal, explaining our campaign to change this law at www.denverbackyardfarms.org and of our positive meetings with City officials. One Board member asked me whether it was true that had the Thron-Webers complied with the law they wouldn't be here today, which gave me the opportunity to explain that many people have called the City about harboring chickens and were given wildly inaccurate information about the law (e.g. chickens are not allowed anywhere, chickens are only allowed in industrial zones, chickens are allowed with only a $50 fee) and were otherwise unable to comprehend the esoteric, multi-departmental process for obtaining a permit. Also speaking in support was an elderly man who was not acquainted with me or with the Thron-Webers who eloquently and emotionally spoke about the wonder and utility of hens and of their unobtrusiveness. Two letters of opposition had been submitted, but no one spoke against the appeal.

The Board voted 4-1 in favor of allowing the chickens, unfortunately ignoring my request that they also dispense with the requirement that the appellants file an "Agreement" at the County Clerk and Recorder's Office which creates an exception to title that could impair their ability to sell or refinance their property.*** This requirement is yet another absurd aspect of this law.

***I realized that the City was enforcing this part of the law when I recently contacted a high-level local government official who told me he was required to file this Agreement against his deed before he could pick up his chicken permit.

The reason this is great news is that if these folks were able to get approval from the Board which had received two letters of opposition, then it seems likely the Board will approve appeals with no opposition. But of course this good news must be taken in context, i.e. we are all living under an oppresssive City of Denver ordinance and those who are busted for having chickens must spend hundreds of dollars and many hours of their time dealing with a confounding bureaucracy. (The alternative is to spend hundreds of dollars and many hours of their time getting the permit - IF one can figure out how to do it.) And while urban areas all across the United States are enlightened to encourage/freely permit its citizens ownership of chickens, Denver is not among them.

Next up at the Board of Adjustment in June: a neurologist and his wife a university professor from Hilltop who cannot get a permit from Zoning because a neighbor doesn't want them to have chickens.


James Bertini, living a partially sustainable lifestyle sans chickens and goats

 

[cockadoodle]

Thank you so much for the update. Sounds like the council is ready to consider some change, not sure how long that will be the case, but good news for now if we can capitalize on it. We live in an area that has legalized pot, ( cool ) but at the same time makes it harder to have fresh eggs (than it should be) than to score a bag of south of the border 'tossed brain salad'... looking forward to the progress.

 

[fivefootsix]

Greetings - new to the forum and new to urban homesteading in general. I have been interested in sustainability and renewables for some time, but I've come to the opinion that localizing my food production is the biggest contribution I can make to live in a more sustainable fashion. I just got back from Portland, OR and a friend of mine has four hens in his backyard. After seeing how mellow they are and how easy it is to keep and care for them, I REALLY want some of my own here in Denver. I'd love to see the process being discussed here simplified. Seems ridiculous. My neighbors' dogs bark ALL THE TIME but I never had to give my permission. Anywho, thanks for all the info posted here. For a newbie, it's great!

 

[Wifezilla]

I think the laws needs to focus on noise, smell and other nuisance issues. If someone can quietly and with no smell raise a cow in their back yard, how is that any of my business?

Should someone get a free pass on having mounds of waste in their yard just because it is a dog and dogs are OK? I had neighbors do this and the smell was so bad I couldn't even use my bedroom.

Is it OK for people to have to listen to dogs bark all the darn time or cats yowling all night? How is a rooster any worse?

Noise is noise. Smell is smell. I don't care if the animal emitting it has fur or feathers. If you are bothering your neighbors with your animals, does it really matter what kind it is?

 

[fivefootsix]

Quote:
Absolutely agree

 

[CityChicken05]

To start, the city of Henderson, KY is trying to force a elderly woman to get rid of her backyard friends. Mable Biccum 66, retired after 32 years with Little sisters of the poor, is keeping chickens in a coop in her backyard. We (Evansville Backyard Chickens) today from the County code enforcement officer that there is nothing that states you can or can’t have chickens in the city limits but they are still forcing her to find them a new home. We are working with Andy Schneider the Chicken Whisper a widely known web radio host and all around chicken advocate to help her out of this and allow her to keep a few chickens. The code enforcement officer was a guest on his show today the link to it is at the bottom. Mable was on his show last Thursday the 11th and you can listen to that also from the same link.

Evansville backyard chickens has a online petition going a blog, Face book page and is working directly with Andy and Mable to get this over with.

To Help E-mail the city of Henderson, KY @

[email protected] Tell them they are wrong!

Brent Hudson - Chicken Advocate
Evansville Backyard Chickens
812-454-6518
www.twitter.com/citychicken05

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/backya...Backyard-Poultry-with-the-Chicken-Whisperer-1

 

[RuffTuffCreampuff]

Ya'll might want to mention that chickens are a natural pest control, by eating bugs. There is a great article on this in this month's issue of Mother Earth News (the one with the berries on the cover).

Pam

 

[CityChicken05]

The roosters she has are not crowing yet, and she is giving them away to anyone who is interested. The coop area is kept very clean, by her and a friend. Smell is not an issue and noise is not. There was no problem until someone saw them as usual.