Thanks Rickerra, for providing the link.
Welcome MommaKnows!
Sadly, unincorporated Spokane County is not a chicken friendly place to live if you're zoned "Low Density Residential" (LDR). Chickens are not allowed at all. It's even worse if you live in a neighborhood with an HOA. The CC&Rs probably dictate the pets you're allowed to have, so that even if somehow the county legalized backyard hens, one could still be out of luck.
Fortunately, the authorities haven't come around to haul my chickens away yet. I am touched at the number of people who have offered to give them loving homes, or foster them if for some reason we got a citation.
I've been keeping my girls locked up in their coop (no access to run) until 7am each day to mitigate early morning noise concerns. I hate doing it, as I can hear them restlessly rustling, wanting to come out in the sun and be the early bird getting the worms! Unfortunately, their sunrise BAWKING, which was getting earlier each day with increasing daylight, was causing problems with a neighbor.
I am looking forward to some milder, sunny days when I can spend the afternoon outside with them working in the yard and garden. That is so relaxing!
There is another group of people that are lobbying for legalizing backyard hens in Spokane County. They are a group that advocate slow foods and eating local. There is even an attorney amongst the group. They are currently trying to raise money (I think it's $1900) that is needed to potentially speed up the process of getting the idea of backyard hens on the voting agenda of the county commissioners. Last summer, while I was researching the legality of getting chickens and found out they weren't allowed, I asked how I could change the ordinance. The quickest way to get it in front of the commissioners was to file for an amendment.....of which the fee was $1900!! You can see how that would be out of reach for the average person. So the only other way, would be to convince one of the commissioners to file for the amendment on behalf of constituents. But to convince a commissioner to do that, you have to show that a large number of his constituency want the change. That's been the hard part. There is a lot of anti-chicken "snobbery" out there.
On a bright note, I've found out that another person in my neighborhood is keeping "secret chickens" (different subdivision, but just a few blocks away). A mutual friend has promised to hook us up! I'm so excited to find a kindred spirit in our area of "high end homes" that I can talk chicken with!