Pasadena California - help me get the setback restriction eased please!

[fargosmom]

My goal for this year is to stop being an outlaw. It's funny because lately, Pasadena has been cited in many articles about the growing legalization movement as a city that allows backyard hens, but no one mentions the fine print - currently you have to keep your coop at least 50 feet away from any property line. That's great, except that most residential properties are barely 50 feet wide.

So I've put together a petition that I will take to the city council when it looks like there's enough support - I don't want to approach them as the lone "crazy chicken lady". I'm looking for more signatures, mostly from residents of Pasadena (although all are welcome to contribute).

If you, or anyone you know, lives in Pasadena California, and would be interested in signing, please direct them to my informational site at http://www.cluckinpasadena.weebly.com . When you fill out the contact form I will send a link to the petition, which is hosted on change.org.

Let's make this the year of the chicken!

Cheers -
Cynthia

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I teach classes on backyard poultry at the local community colleges and botanical garden. I also speak at city council meetings for people wishing to get birds legalized.
My best defense against setbacks is I encourage councils to refrain from making restrictions that will negatively impact the health of the birds. My argument is that (around here anyway) the center of peoples yards are usually the sunniest. A coop placed in the sun in a warm climate is a good way to kill chickens.
I explain that people who don't understand chickens should refrain from stipulating size, location and construction of coops because every situation is different.
Do dog houses have to be kept 50 feet from property lines? If not then neither should coops.
You could try a direct mailing. The post office provides a mailing list of homes in specific zip codes.
If you have a Patch or similar local newspaper that works too.
You could see if you could blog for your local patch.
Good Luck

 

[poltroon]

Nice job on your website, fargosmom. Citing the Arcadia ordinance is a very smart way to go, I think.

 

[fargosmom]

Thank you! It took a lot of on-line research to find the solution right under my nose (they're something like 2 towns east of us - really close). I sure hope we pull this off. I'm trying to do it without creating any backlash that results in greater restrictions or an imposition of fees and licenses, so I'm actually trying to do it on the QT.

 

[tlatol]

Love your website. Very well done. I left my info. there, and would be willing to help with this. I live in West Pasadena.
If you have a download of the petition, I can get neighbors to sign it, and then get it to you if that would help.
Thanks!!
Tyn

 

[fargosmom]

Here's an update - we're up over 150 signatures on the petition, and I presented the proposal to the city council a couple of months ago. It is being considered, but it's not a sure thing. I'm waiting to hear from the council about the next step.

In the meantime, I would love it if we could keep the momentum up. So, IF you are PASADENA CA resident, or know someone who is, please visit and sign (or share the address to) the petition at http://www.change.org/petitions/let-s-really-make-backyard-hens-legal-in-pasadena-ca . We really need signatures specifically from Pasadena residents to convince the council that we mean business. We also really need Pasadena residents to call or write the city council and voice their support for this amendment.

So - do YOU live in Pasadena? What are you waiting for? Click the linky and sign away!! Or - if you have friends or relatives in Pasadena, send the linky to them and insist they sign on your behalf. Either way you're adding your shoulder to the push to legalize hens here in sunny downtown Pasadena California. Thanks for everything!!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Try posting here too.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/161/california-southern

 

[fargosmom]

Another update - we're getting closer! We have over 250 signatures now, and the proposal may get to be discussed and voted on in the next couple of months. Please - if you know anyone in Pasadena - get them to sign on! We need to keep up the momentum. Thanks for all the support!

 

[fargosmom]

WE DID IT!!! After a lot of hard work gathering signatures and networking with neighborhood activist groups, we got our proposal put before the Pasadena City Council, and it passed unanimously. It can be done, folks!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Another success story.
Good job. It takes a lot of work but it's worth it.

I was given a month to remove all chickens from my property once the city found out I had them - after a newspaper article about me was printed. 9 months later the ordinance was rewritten and I got a permit for 85 chickens and 5 roosters.