My ordinance - it appears legal here?

[snuzulooz]

The plan is a small flock of 4 pullets only (Red Star) if we are legal. My hubby went down to city hall and requested the ordinance. This is how it reads exactly~

Restrictions on Keeping Fowl, Rabbits, and Cows. " No chicken house or coop shall be maintained within 25 feet of any dwelling house; no chicken park, uncovered or open, poultry yard, uncovered or open, rabbit pen or cow stable shall be maintained within a distance of 60 feet from the nearest dwelling house within the City of ...."


This would appear to me that as long as my chicken coop in 25 feet from any home and the run or "park" is covered that chickens are legal. Would you interpret the 25 feet to include my own home or just the neighbors?

~We are not asking our neighbors opinion on the subject because on one side we are divided by a road and that neighbor has several loud dogs that we assure her do not bother us AND I know she buys her eggs from a local farmer but has had trouble getting them lately

and my husband routinely helps her with stuff, best of all she is gone most of the time

On the closer side the neighbors we thought were nice elderly people recently yelled at my husband (literally out the window screaming because for 2 years he had been nicely/thoughtfully mowing their lawn and I had been shoveling their sidewalk) and told him he needed to know where his property lines are and to stay within them. I think she is mentally loosing it. I can't imagine anything good coming from a conversation with her. She never leaves the house... our other neighbors have lived here for years and didn't think the guy next door was married...

We intend to insulate the coop, make it pretty, surround it by more raised garden beds, landscaping, and put a 4-6 foot fence for our climbing garden stuff to grow up on the side of the coop facing the older neighbors. I don't want to annoy them but I don't want to give up on what is likely within the scope of my rights as a property owner YKWIM?

BTW we have a 150 foot yard and can easily put the coop well away from any of the houses.

Any interpretations are appreciated.

The people at City Hall made it sound fine but they interpreted a poultry park to be a petting zoo and said they were a little vague on what open park part meant.

 

[MrChicken207]

I read "poultry yard" as meaning the run. I would cover it and keep it at the 60 feet just the same, to be safe. I'd put the coop 25' from the property line of the elderly neighbors, put the run on the opposite side of that. The way the ordinance is written seems to allow you a fairly large sized run, if you wanted it.

 

[WingingIt]

I'm not a lawyer, but it looks to me that your coop has to be 25 feet from any house and the run has to be 60 feet from the nearest house. I'd think that 'any' would include your house (for the coop part). The run part says nearest house, so I'm guessing that's whichever it's closest to, but you might put it where it's 60 from all of the houses and cover it, just so you know you're covered.

 

[snuzulooz]

Do you think where it says "open and uncovered" is what dictates the 60 feet and that a covered or wire enclosed run would not be open and uncovered and would be allowed at 25 feet or more? We intend to put a roof on the run.

Thanks so much !

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

You need to find the definitions section of the ordinance.

 

[palochknldy]

I would take a photo of your yard, circle where you want the coop and run then take it to your city hall and have them approve it--written of course. That way you are safe. Our ordinance reads 25ft from lot lines. As far as the old neighbors go, guess she just saved your back from shoveling!! ha