East Bethel , Minnesota let's change this law!

[kelseyrose]

I am from East Bethel. Currently you can have chickens if you live on more than an 3 acres I believe. I would love to change this for anyone like me with less land. I have just started looking into it. There is a city council meeting October 2nd at 730 tomorrow that I will be attending to learn more on how to go about changing this. Is anyone else out there that would like to join the cause? My next steps are to start a petition.

 

[Ben556]

Did you talk to city council about the chicken laws? We would like to help get that law changed as well.
Derek

 

[schmidthappens]

that was my wife we did not that day something came up and we just have been very busy, i did just email city councilmen Ron Koller asking how to go about how to go about changing it, below is the email i sent, i hope something will come of this i would really like to have chickens and if you can have 300 on 3 acres why cant i have 10 on a 1/2 acre. do you live in East Bethel?

Hi my name is Paul Schmidt I a live at east bethel, I am wondering how I would go about getting the city code changed to allow chicken on properties with under 3 acres of land. I have ½ an acre. I have done some research and can propose a few restrictions that can go along with allowing it and have a list of a few cities that allow chickens .
Some restrictions could be
No rooster, chickens shall be fully contained on property at all times through use of fencing, shelters must comply with development code, food must be stored in closed containers with lids, all containment areas and shelter shall be maintained in a clean, sanitary, and odor free environment and shall be free from the presence of rodents or vermin at all times, and chickens shall not be raised or kept for fight, cockfighting is prohibited

Cities that allow are
Oakdale, Cottage Grove, west St. Paul, St. Paul, Montrose, Anoka, Otsego, Maplewood, Dayton, Andover, Roseville, Fridley, Minnetonka, Maple Grove, Shorewood, Vadnais Heights, New Brighton, Burnsville, Richfield, Saint Paul Park, Newport, Bloomington, Robbinsdale, Falcon Heights, Columbia Heights, and Rosemount

Our city code
Sec. 10-151. Interim use permit (IUP) and acreage requirements for domestic farm animals; nondomestic animals prohibited.

(a)
Nondomestic animals are not allowed to be kept within the city.
(b)
An IUP is required for the keeping of domestic farm animals as regulated by this article in the city. The procedure for the issuance of an IUP will be in accordance with the City Code.
(c)
No animal regulated by this article can be kept on a parcel of land located within a platted subdivision or on any parcel of land of less than three acres. Provided further, that if 80 percent of the lots within a platted subdivision are larger than three acres, an IUP for keeping a regulated animal may be issued for any of those lots larger than three acres.
(d)
Upon the transfer of the title of a parcel for which parcel an IUP is in effect on the effective date of this article, the new owner may apply for an IUP for the keeping of such animals if the existing permit is in effect and in good standing at the time the title to the property is transferred.
(e)
Meeting the acreage requirements set out in this section does not in and of itself entitle an applicant to an IUP.
(f)
IUPs in existence on the effective date of this article for parcels not in compliance with these acreage requirements will be allowed to continue but only as legal, nonconforming uses.
(g)
It is a requirement for all IUPs issued under this article that a minimum of one fenced acre of pasture land plus any indicated fraction thereof must be provided for each animal unit described below as the animal equivalent for the animal to be kept pursuant to the IUP.
(h)
The following equivalents will apply when determining the animal units defined below:
Animal

Animal
Units Per Acre
1 swine

0.4
1 goose or duck

0.2
1 goat or sheep

0.5
1 turkey

0.10
1 bovine

1.4
1 equine

1.0
1 chicken or pheasant/quail

0.01
1 emu or ostrich

1.0
1 alpaca or llama

1.0

Thank you for taking the time to read my email

 

[schmidthappens]

i just heard back from him today this is what he said

"I talked with the city administrator last night and he will e-mail me the rules.
I will go through them and see what we can do."
Ron Koller
East Bethel City Council Member

 

[schmidthappens]

i got this email back


I checked with the city and they require 3 acres for domestic livestock.
I had The city administrator put this item on the agenda for the planning and zoning meeting on may 27.
Other residents have wanted this also.
If we can take chickens off of the domestic livestock list it should fix the problem.
I will let you know how it goes.

 

[schmidthappens]

just an update now it it up for a vote at the next city council meeting on 6-4

 

[schmidthappens]

another update, i am still in the works for this another meeting tonight

 

[Roxy1stmommy]

Thank you for your commitment. We live in st.francis and have the same restrictions as EB we are looking to move within a year and I would love to be able to expand our search towards E.Bethel. For our budget it really restricts what we can look for and where.You could always use that as an argument. I know several people that have looked for property based on their availability to have chicken.

 

[moexx216]

Any update? Just found this law about needing 3 acres for chickens and since I have 2.6 acres on a plot of rural residential land, I am devastated! Hoping chickens have been removed from the list! Thanks all.