Finally, Chickens are legal

[onichan]

Thank you for this post!

I am moving to Bellevue next month, and my husband and I just bought a beautiful house there that would be perfectly complemented by a little flock. I tried reading through the city ordinances but they are really vague and seem to only apply to agricultural zoning. I tried to google "raising chickens in bellevue" and all that came up were all the cases in 2010 of police coming and trying to enforce a law that didn't exist. This finally came up after a few pages.

It's a bit disgusting that the city actually charges you money for wanting to safely source your food. The article also implies that people who keep chickens for 4H Club don't have to pay to keep THEIR chickens...***??? so if you want to bring your chickens to a social club it's fine but if you want to keep a few around to give you a safe source of eggs and meat, it's not permitted? I suppose $5 a year is not a terrible price to pay for eggs but it still seems unfair.

That aside, what a great victory for bellevue! we were planning to move to Omaha originally, where they aren't anti-chicken, but a good house at a good price happened to pop up in Bellevue. Thanks for sharing this article and helping me plan!

 

[olefarmersdaughter]

My brother-in-law lives in Bellevue and finds the BYC ordinance somewhat confusing so he is secretly raising quiet quail in his backyard for food consumption. I live in Omaha which is BYC friendly but not all neighborhoods are. Many have HOA's that prevent chickens. I find you'll be safe buying an older home in an older neighborhood.

 

[homesteadwannabe]

I'm so happy to see this. It gives me some hope for the battle I have in my small rural town. I wish I knew why we got so far away from the garden in our backyard with some chickens roaming around!

 

[CWalker]

Im a little confused; it states that you can not have hens in your back yard? That doesnt make sense...I live in Bellevue,Ne and would like to have a few chickens, no roosters, and I would not let them roam I would keep them in a hen house and a patch of lawn with chicken wire. Is this okay, and if so how many hens can I have?

 

[olefarmersdaughter]

Im a little confused; it states that you can not have hens in your back yard? That doesnt make sense...I live in Bellevue,Ne and would like to have a few chickens, no roosters, and I would not let them roam I would keep them in a hen house and a patch of lawn with chicken wire. Is this okay, and if so how many hens can I have?

I would like to know that too for my bro-in-law. He lives in bellevue also and would like to have chickens too but can't find a clear ordinance on the internet. I live in Omaha so I just give him my excess eggs.

 

[Chickenjoe123]

Congrats lets break out the celebratory champagne

 

[CWalker]

For everyone who was confused with the new codes; I live in bellevue and got a permit. We are able to have up to 7 hens in an enclosed coop and run in our back yard but it must b away from any fences and homes so... that means ... in the middle of your yard really. Which was okay with us but it just depends on the size of your yard. Good Luck!
-Cari

 

[snjedmonds]

Do they say how far from the fences? And do they do an inspection? Where do i go to get a permit?

 

[snjedmonds]

I need to know the specifics on where I can put my coop. Can anyone tell me?

 

[rafterboy42]

First time poster here, but wanted to resurrect this thread to look for advice.

I aslo live in Bellevue, NE and called today about getting a permit for backyard hens. Was told that I needed to be a part of a 4-H or similar program to quality for the permit. They pointed me to the section on the zoning ordinance that discusses it. I know a few in this thread got permits in Bellevue in then past year.

Did you have to get any sort of affadavit from an orgainization that you were working with, or has the city decided to change their interpretation of the zoning ordinance?

The text of the ordinance is below. The italicized part is what they reference. However, it seems to me that that provides an exeption to raise hens for 4-H regardless of the zoning district, not the specific guidance for single family dwellings.

Raising of hens, subject to the following conditions:
8.12.01 Any person who keeps hens in the City of Bellevue or its zoning jurisdiction shall obtain a permit from the City prior to acquiring the hens. Application shall be made to the Permits and Inspections Division and the fee for the permit shall be as determined by Council resolution.
8.12.02 Permits expire and become invalid five (5) years after the date of issuance. A person who wishes to continue keeping hens shall have obtained a new permit on or before the expiration date of the previous permit. Application for a new permit shall be pursuant to the procedures and requirements that are applicable at the time the person applies for a new permit to include a plot plan showing the building envelope in which the coop may be located.
8.12.03 Any person who, in any zoning district of the City of Bellevue, was keeping hens prior to March 1, 2011, may continue to keep hens, provided, that such person shall obtain the required permit
not later than November 1, 2011, and comply with the requirements for keeping or housing hens on his or her property as set forth herein. Such permit application shall include an affidavit signed by the applicant stating that the applicant was keeping hens on his or her property prior to March 1, 2011. (Ord. No. 3632, Sept. 12, 2011)

Persons in any zoning district of the City of Bellevue may keep hens on his/her property for the sole purpose of participating in livestock exhibitions such as 4-H or similar programs upon approval of a permit and in accordance with the provisions as set forth herein. (Ord. No. 3632, Sept. 12, 2011)

8.12.04 A person who keeps or houses hens on his or her property shall comply with all of the following requirements:
1. No more than 7 hens may be kept on any one zoning lot.
2. The principal use of the property shall be a single-family dwelling.
3. No person shall keep any rooster.
4. No person shall slaughter any hens.
5. The hens shall be provided with a covered enclosure and must be kept in the covered enclosure or a fenced enclosure at all times. Such covered enclosure or coop shall contain at least four square feet of floor area per hen, and the fenced enclosure shall provide at least ten square feet of open area per hen; no coop shall exceed 120 square feet of floor area or exceed 12 feet in height.
6. A person shall not keep hens in any location on the property other than in the rear yard. For purposes of this section, "rear yard" means that portion of a lot enclosed by the property's rear lot line and the side lot lines to the points where the side lot lines intersect with an imaginary line established by the rear of the dwelling and extending to the side lot lines.
7. No covered enclosure or fenced enclosure shall be located closer than 10 feet to any property line of an adjacent property.
8. All enclosures for the keeping of hens shall be so constructed or repaired as to prevent rats, mice, or other rodents from being harbored underneath, within, or within the walls of the enclosure. A covered enclosure or fenced enclosure shall not be located closer than 40 feet to any residential structure on another person’s property.
9. All feed and other items associated with the keeping of hens that are likely to attract or to become infested with or infected by rats, mice, or other rodents shall be protected so as to prevent rats, mice, or other rodents from gaining access to or coming into contact with them.
10. Eggs produced by permitted chickens may be sold by the permit holder.
11. If the above requirements are not complied with, the City may revoke any permit granted under this section and/or initiate prosecution for a civil infraction violation.


Any feedback from folks in the know would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks, Paul