Misinformation about keeping chickens in Glendale

[ninapickett56]

Hello, I am a new member, although it seems I won't be for very long. Based on articles I read in the Arizona Republic and sites such as this I thought the city of Glendale Arizona had begun allowing people to keep backyard chickens. I have had my 10 girls for over two years now and have become very attached to them ( and to the eggs) Yesterday I received a compliance order stating that I would have to get rid of them. I do not live in an HOA. I quoted the ordinance your site listed, which is the same as the newspaper stated, the compliance officer did some research and told me my suburban residence was zoned R16. She stated that only properties zoned as agricultural were permitted to keep poultry , such as "horse properties". Being as my backyard is about 2 and a half times the size of other properties in the neighborhood of single family residences I thought it was permitted even though this is not a "horse property". I am sick at heart about about this, and until the law is changed ( as, reading the newspaper article, I thought it had been) I thought you should let people know that keeping chickens is NOT permitted here. And yes, they are behind a fence and have a coop.

 

[redsoxs]

Hello from Kansas, nanapickett56, and

! Pleased you joined us but sorry to hear about your predicament. I don't have specific information but I know a lot of folks have visited the thread below and have had success getting their towns to changes ordinances and allow chickens. Good luck to you and hope it works out!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/37/local-chicken-laws-ordinances-and-how-to-change-them

 

[NickyKnack]

Good luck! It sounds like you are moving in the right direction.

 

[sumi]

Hello and welcome to BYC

Do as Redsoxs suggested and best of luck to you!!

 

[Dnetschke]

from Colorado!

 

[sourland]

Welcome to BYC. Hopefully you can accomplish something with the link provided by redsoxs.

 

[Kevin565]

 

[Nahab]

Would you mind sharing what the penalties for non-compliance are? Have you found any way to be able to keep your hens?

I am from Glendale too and was about to buy some chicks based on the information I found in the Glendale ordinances 5.212 but my husband looked up our home zoning and we are apparently R1-6 which, by exclusion, disallows chickens. It seems ridiculous since I see many homes nearby with chickens and there are many SR-12 zones near us that DO allow chickens but we're still looking into it to see if there may be a way to still make this happen.

Thanks for any info!

Marjorie

 

[AZNATYVE]

I am going before city of Glendale council tonight (6/23/15 at 6:00 p.m.) to discuss this. I encourage any of you that are interested in keeping backyard chickens to join me. I too misunderstood the 5.132 & 5.212 and thought that we would be able to have chickens. Our know of a few individuals who work in city hall that are very sympathetic to this cause. The more people that come out and speak the better our chances are to get backyard chickens legalized in the city of Glendale. If an individual submits an application to planning and zoning to try to get the zoning changed to add chickens it will cost $4,258 and that comes with no guarantee that it will get approved as planning and zoning already said that they would recommend the motion be denied.

We all know the benefits of having chickens and that they are not any more of a nuisance than a feral cat, pigeons or a barking dog....

Chickens are NOT considered LIVESTOCK by the city of Glendale definition:

Sec. 6-1. - Definitions.
Livestock: Neat animals, horses, sheep, goats, swine, mules and asses.
Neither code below states what your zoning has to be, it is just defined as how much open square feet you have.

5.212 - Livestock.
A. Raising and grazing of livestock, excluding swine, is permitted for a maximum of one (1) animal per ten thousand (10,000) square feet of open space. The raising of poultry with the exception of male fowl, is permitted provided they are contained within a fence or cage.

5.132 - Livestock.
Raising and grazing of livestock is permitted for a maximum of one (1) livestock animal per five thousand (5,000) square feet of open space. Two (2) swine shall be allowed per lot. The raising of poultry is permitted provided they are contained within a fence or cage. Male fowl shall not be permitted within five hundred (500) feet of any residence or living space, including pool or patio, on an adjacent suburban residential, urban residential, or multiple residential zoned lot.

 

[AZNATYVE]

Received this email yesterday evening. Finally some movement:

Okay Glendale residents, here is the first meeting. We just received from city of Glendale. It is a non speaking meeting, but bodies show support too:

In regards to allowing chickens as pets in residential neighborhoods, the City Council will receive a presentation and recommendation from city staff on December 15 here at City Hall. The workshop will begin at 1:30 in Council Chambers - Room B3. At this time we do not know the order of the agenda items. Sometimes these meetings can run very long so I will do my best to notify you when I know where this item is placed on the agenda. Please reach out to our office if you do not hear from me by Friday, December 11. Workshops are information only meetings that inform the City Council of needed information. For the December 15 meeting, the Council will not vote to approve or reject a new policy that allows chickens as residential pets, but it will give you an opportunity to hear from members of the City Council who choose to ask questions and share their input.



Best regards,

Council Assistant, Barrel & Cholla District
Glendale City Council