- Aug 29, 2010
- 10
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Fox Lake, IL makes it impossible to raise chickens without significant dollar spend just to apply for the ordinance and a virtual 100% guarantee that at the end of it all, the petition would be rejected. Even if your next door neighbors completely approve (which mine do). Even if your entire neighborhood sponsors the petition. Even if your entire neighborhood is bordered on 2 sides by a huge earthen berm and on the other two sides by thousands of acres of forest. Even if just up the road from your neighborhood there are people raising chickens, horses, etc.
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4-3-6-1: PROHIBITED ACTS: It shall be unlawful to: ... H. No person shall cause or allow any place or stable, public or private, where any animal is or may be kept to become unclean, unwholesome or create any annoying or noxious odors, or do any act which endangers the public health or results in annoyance or discomfort to the public. It shall be unlawful to keep any live goats, swine, pigs, poultry, horses or cattle anywhere in the Village, except on properly zoned farms.
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You have to apply for a variance per property or neighborhood. $400 to apply, plus $700 for every hearing required to resolve the variance question (usually it's just one, to tell you "no").
It's complete Kabuki theater. The $400 fee goes toward publishing and processing costs and the $700 goes towards paying appointed, not elected, individuals to review and ultimately reject the case.
Even if an entire neighborhood can be persuaded to allow chickens the decision is still up to the city council and is likely to be struck down simply because of the overall zoning restriction.
Even an acre lot is considered too small for even a few chickens. Really? Even for something the size of a doghouse for one chicken? That's what the building commissioner says.
In other words, it would take an act of God to get the variance.
I think the act of God is on its way, though, at which point we might be a little more "free" to choose how we choose to obtain our egg products. http://www.helium.com/items/1933168-us-in-economic-great-depression
Anybody got any ideas of how I can frame my arguments if I do decide to apply for the variance?
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4-3-6-1: PROHIBITED ACTS: It shall be unlawful to: ... H. No person shall cause or allow any place or stable, public or private, where any animal is or may be kept to become unclean, unwholesome or create any annoying or noxious odors, or do any act which endangers the public health or results in annoyance or discomfort to the public. It shall be unlawful to keep any live goats, swine, pigs, poultry, horses or cattle anywhere in the Village, except on properly zoned farms.
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You have to apply for a variance per property or neighborhood. $400 to apply, plus $700 for every hearing required to resolve the variance question (usually it's just one, to tell you "no").
It's complete Kabuki theater. The $400 fee goes toward publishing and processing costs and the $700 goes towards paying appointed, not elected, individuals to review and ultimately reject the case.
Even if an entire neighborhood can be persuaded to allow chickens the decision is still up to the city council and is likely to be struck down simply because of the overall zoning restriction.
Even an acre lot is considered too small for even a few chickens. Really? Even for something the size of a doghouse for one chicken? That's what the building commissioner says.
In other words, it would take an act of God to get the variance.
I think the act of God is on its way, though, at which point we might be a little more "free" to choose how we choose to obtain our egg products. http://www.helium.com/items/1933168-us-in-economic-great-depression
Anybody got any ideas of how I can frame my arguments if I do decide to apply for the variance?
) There are people rooting for you!! (How discouraging that it can cost $1,000 plus just to be heard.)
