Permit process approved! Now how to ask the neighbors??

[CautiousVenturer]

My city just approved a permit process for obtaining chickens! That's headway..... The whole process involves written waste management and care schedule, scale drawings of coop and placement, written consent by adjacent neighbors, letters sent to all neighbors within 50 feet (with 20 days for them to lodge a concern or objection, but unlike the adjacent neighbors, these are only taken into consideration by the permitter, not necessarily kibashing the whole thing), and eventually an inspection of the coop itself before getting the permit. Honestly, I wish some people had to go through all this to get dogs and/or have children!

Anyways, how did you all go about asking your neighbors? Our rear neighbors are behind a privacy fence and we've never said "boo" to them, much less "please let me have livestock! sign this official paper". We don't even know their names! And then how about the friendly neighbors who you don't want to think you're a complete lunatic?

I'm just a little apprehensive about the whole asking thing....

 

[DrHoverbottom]

Wow! Thats quite the process. I suppose if I were in your position I would just go out introduce myself and explain that I was looking to keep a few hens in my backyard and explain the permit process. Hopefully it goes well and the most hassle you get will be a promise of eggs in exchange for a signature! Good luck!

 

[PaulaSB12]

Wow this is a long winded way to get chickens, the way I could do it was
1 check house deeds no prohibitation there
2 check the council no problem from them
3 put the coop and chickens in didn't need or want to get the neighbours permission.

 

[farmerinKC]

Good luck to you. We just found out we were supposed to get written permission from neighbors who are within 100 feet of our coop. We got everyone to sign except the people who live right behind us. They just put their house on the market and don't want to sign.

 

[k3llyVA]

Wow, that IS a lot of hoops to jump through. But, you know, for some of us still fighting to get ordinances changed to allow chickens at all... we'd probably be willing to accept a permitting process like yours. Can you easily post the requirements? Folks trying to get hens legalized in their area might like to be able to present a copy of the requirements to their own county boards or city councils as an example. Is there a website you can link or a PDF you can post?

As to approaching your neighbors, I would suggest being prepared with a copy of your coop drawings or photos of a similar coop. Also be ready to tell them about how you plan to deal with waste. Smell and coops that are eyesores seem to be some of the main objections people have. If you can show them that you won't be putting a blue tarp over some chain link fencing and calling it a coop, and informing them about your waste management plans, they may have no objection. And promise them some eggs!