Help Change the Law in Vestal, NY

[ahall003]

I would like to organize a group to help change the chicken ordinances in Vestal, NY. If anyone living in Vestal is interested in helping change the laws please get in touch with me.

 

[Fitzalan]

Well, I have 7 girls living in a small coop on the side of my house and I live in Vestal, NY. They are quieter than the crows and other birds in the neighborhood that wake me up at 4:00AM every morning. I've already had 3 deer tick attach themselves to me and have had a house full of fleas every year for the past 5 because I refuse to spray my yard with chemicals that end up in our ground water and in the vegetables I eat from my garden. I've tried to read the zoning laws in Vestal but you need a lawyer to interpret them. I want to know where my eggs are coming from and what is being fed to those chickens...I don't want to eat chicken or eggs filled with antibiotics that make me immune to the common ones and force me to take a new antibiotic or a stronger one because of the mass production of our foods.Orlando, FL has a chicken law allowing them, I understand the city of Binghamton also does. Some people in Vestal do have them as I've seen them..I have no intention of raising roosters, but would like my girls to be allowed to live here and roam freely in my yard. I believe I'm keeping them illegally and I have a neighbor that sneaks through my yard at night and I'm pretty sure they signed a petition against it today.

 

[cd williams]

These posts are fairly old. I'm wondering how the law stands in Vestal. Can people have backyard chickens? I'm looking to buy a home in the Southern Tier (Elmira to Binghamton) and want to be able to have chicks. Any suggestions? How do you find out laws for areas?

 

[barn206]

I'm not too far from vestal but I can tell you this..I'm in an agricultural area and I signed a paper when I bought my house stating that " I cannot complain about animal noises and or smells, tractor noise, etc.. I am so glad and happy where I chose to live. If you want livestock and " freedom" , I suggest you do your homework. I have land and privacy... nobody complains. For me it's key for a good life. Good luck and take your time buying

 

[Urchickchic]

I grew up in Vestal and my family still has a house there so I’m curious as well. Much of the outlying areas still in the 13850 zip code are pretty rural and had “farm animals” 30 years ago. Anyone have any updates? Our home is south of the vestal parkway near African Road school.

 

[Urchickchic]

I grew up in Vestal and my family still has a house there so I’m curious as well. Much of the outlying areas still in the 13850 zip code are pretty rural and had “farm animals” 30 years ago. Anyone have any updates? Our home is south of the vestal parkway near African Road school.

So I just read the town code and there is no prohibition specifically against chickens. They mention fowl in the “Animals” section. However, would a coop require a building permit? Not sure. If it has no plumbing or electric I think you’re ok. The issue comes with the fact that if there is a nuisance, and two neighbors complain, then the town gets involved. Let me know if you all see anything different. I’m not a lawyer, now do I play one on tv

 

[sennomo]

The Vestal code does explicitly prohibit chickens in most residential districts. (Only rural residential districts allow them.) In non-residential districts, chickens are implicitly prohibited by the clause “The uses permitted in the districts listed below are as indicated. Uses not listed below are prohibited unless provided otherwise.”

https://library.municode.com/ny/tow...D_ORD_CH24ZO_ARTIVDIRE_DIV1GE_S24-151PEUSESDI