DEVASTATED!!! ..... anyone, please help.

[kidcallous]

Can anyone point me in the direction of an "APPEAL TEMPLATE" to get ordinances changed? I am distraught. I looked and looked for weeks online, municode, etc and could not find any concrete information about keeping chickens in my city. Started building a wonderful run, getting so excited and

SLAM !

"It is unlwaful to keep horses, cattle, mules, donkeys, sheep goats, swine, pigeons, or fowl in residential areas".

This is terrible.

I have done some research and have found some good city comparisons to submit to the county upon my appeal - there are some much larger and more heavily populated metropolitan areas around me (Tampa, St Petersburg, Orlando) where chickens are allowed. The real kick in the gut: 2 blocks from my house is zoned as residential-agricultural, and I could throw a stone from my backyard to a chicken-safe zone, but I cannot keep them by law.

Does anyone have a well worded template to submit to county officials with an appeal for code changes?? Thank you!

 

[LarryPQ]

What city are you in, specifically. There may be additional code which makes allowances for keeping chickens as pets. "Residential areas" is a catch-all phrase, you need to poke around in your zoning code too.

ALSO- what is your parcel zoned as?

 

[calista]

I'm so sorry that you're THIS CLOSE to being able to do what others around you are already doing, so maybe these tips will help:

How To Get A Chicken Ordinance Passed
Want to get a chicken ordinance passed in your city, but feel overwhelmed? It can be done, but be aware it takes time and persistence. Here are some steps you can take to change the local laws to allow you to keep a flock in your neighborhood:

Meet the Mayor
Make an appointment with the mayor to get a feel for how the council feels about urban chickens. Are they concerned about the noise? Or the smell? Is your mayor worried about one or two irresponsible people opening a chicken farm in town? A discussion with your mayor will give you an idea of how to word your proposal.

Look Up Similar Laws
Go online and study the residential chicken laws other cities have passed. Find one that is similar to the law you want to draft and copy it, changing it where needed. This will not only give you an example of how an ordinance should look, but will also demonstrate to council members that other cities have done the same. Write out your proposed ordinance and make enough copies for every council member, the mayors and others.

Make an Appointment
Call the city clerk’s office and explain that you are trying to get a chicken ordinance passed. Be courteous and humble. The clerk will explain to you what you need to do and make an appointment for you to address the city council. Usually, you will speak to the council at their next meeting under New Business.

At the Meeting
Explain to the council about why you want a chicken ordinance passed, and give everyone a copy of your proposal. If you are lucky, the proposal will pass right away. If you live in a larger city, the proposal will likely be sent to a side committee for discussion. Attend all the extra meetings if you can.

In the meantime, start a pro-chicken public relations campaign to get your chicken ordinance passed. Write letters to the editor of your paper, and get your friends and neighbors to do the same. If the side committee approves your proposal to have a chicken ordinance passed, then the full council will approve it as well.

If Your Proposal Doesn’t Pass
In the words of Winston Churchill: Never, never, never give up! Keep writing letters to the editor, get a petition going and keep trying. Get enough people interested in urban chickens and you will, eventually get your chicken ordinance passed.

It may take some time and effort on your part, but YOU CAN DO IT. Persevere! Good luck.

 

[kidcallous]

I mean to tell you I SEARCHED and SEARCHED and SEARCHED before even buying the wood for my run. All vague information.

The run is about half complete, and something told me to search again. I used a few different key words, and there it was. In black and white.

I can literally throw a stone into an agricultural area where chickens are OK. I drive by a house 3 blocks from mine that has goats, ponies and pigeons, but apparently that one fateful turn into my neighborhoold is the kicker.

I do plan on going down to the commissioners, or filing an appeal, or both. This is just terrible. I was so excited...

 

[kidcallous]

Quote:
My parcel is zoned as "Single Family Residential". I checked the property map. Sure enough, a stones throw from agricultural residential zoning.

 

[LarryPQ]

OK---I am seeing that Spring Hill is not incorporated, so are you falling under Tampa jurisdiction or Hernando COunty?

Specifically, what are you zoned as? R-1A, R-1B, etc?

 

[phaethona]

that really stinks they have an all-inclusive "NO" code.

I'm not in FL but if you need a reference to a code regarding chickens in a city with large urban residential population, I live in Kansas City and our law is that we can have up to 15 chickens which must be kept 100 ft from any building in which humans occupy, other than the owners of the chickens. roosters must be kept at least 300 ft from any building occupied by humans other than the owners of the birds.

good luck!

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

As has been said, you need the exact zoning--not just single family residential. Chances are pretty high that there is more than one single family residential zone. You need to check both zoning and city ordinances, you need to see what if any provisions there are about pets and animals in general. You need to see if there is a variance process, you need to determine the jurisdiction.

Looking online and not finding information does not mean that there is no ordinance; it means only that you did not find one. Calling the city or county and verifying who has jurisdiction, how to find city code and zoning ordinances are always good starting places.

 

[kidcallous]

I am having a heck of a time even finding out which residential district I'm in. Surprisingly, the folks working at the county offices arent able to assist much. Looks like I have a lot more digging to do here.

What ever happened to the simple days....

 

[chicklet1]

I feel you. I live just outside Orlando and I pass horses and cows all day in my neighborhood. Ag zoning all around me but apparently I can have only 1 chicken. :-(