Prince William County, Virginia

[tvcole]

Just when we thought we were close -- we're back to the drawing board. On October 5th, the Prince William Board of County Supervisors sent the matter back to the Planning Commission for another round. This time they want a map amendment. There are some hopeful signs - the proposal we put forward as a compromise is to be used as the starting point for discussion, so that's something. Some serious jerrymandering will happen with this map amendment!

We still need help - any advice?

 

[tvcole]

It has been a long time since I posted here, and I apologize. We had a meeting with the PWC Planning Commission on November 17, 2010, at which they gave full recognition to agricultural rights countywide and advocated "chicken rights" throghout the "poultry overlay district" which consists of what is known as the "rural crescent." I don't know why that recommendation didn't go to the Board of Supervisors, but on March 16th we were back in fron of the Planning Commission. Here are my notes on the 17NOV2010 meeting:
• 17 November 2010. Issue came before the Planning Commission again. End result: recommendation that chickens be allowed on any property in the “poultry overlay district,” all A-1 property throughout the county, and on Semi-Rural property one acre or larger throughout the county, subject to restrictions on numbers, sanitation, property line setback, setback from homes, setback from wells, coup size and permitting, fence height, etc. What started as a simple issue that could have been resolved by striking “chickens and other fowl” from an existing ordinance is now very complex – this has to be the most complex chicken statute in the country. Although our last proposal was to be used as a point of departure, it was not mentioned at this meeting. Evidently it was discussed at a zoning review board meeting to which we were not invited.

On March 16, 2011, the Planning Commission heard the case again. There has evidently been some attempts by supervisors to craft the ordinance for the individual districts. This may work in our favor. The Planning Commission unanimously reiterated their stance from 17NOV2010, and sent the issue to the Board of Supervisors.

After 15 months of work, we are finally going back to the Board of Supervisors tomorrow, 19 April, 2011. The package they will hear can be found at this link: http://www.pwcgov.org/documents/bocs/agendas/2011/0419/12-D.pdf

This has been a long road, but I am hopeful we will emerge with something that, although not Backyard Chickens or Urban Chickens by any stretch, will at least be somewhat less draconian and open up agricultural rights to Agricultural and Semi-rural property. Anyone reading this who can participate in the meeting would be appreciated. Each speaker is allocated 3 minutes. The meeting starts at 7:30pm, and is held at the McCoart Building, One County Complex Court, Prince William, VA 22192. (This is adjacent to the county sports complex off Prince William Parkway, one traffic light east of the intersection of Hoadly Rd and Prince William Parkway.)

Thanks!

Vic Cole
[email protected]

 

[tvcole]

Partial victory! The PWC BOCS voted unanimously last night to accept the proposal offered by the Planning staff. This allows chickens on all agricultural property in the "Domestic Fowl Overlay District", and on Semi-rural property in the overlay with a special use permit. There are a myriad of other conditions - setbacks from property lines, setbacks from residences, setbacks from wells, setbacks from streams, very low density allowance, restrictions on roosters and guineas (but not peafowl), fence height, coop and run space per bird, and omigosh what a lot of unenforceable stuff. This has to be the longest and most complex ordinance of its type anywhere in the country -- and I sincerely hope that nobody else patterns themselves after it. I lamented last night that we're probably too close to Washington, DC to come out with anything simple.

So, I am now allowed to have chickens. Am I done? No! I'm still trying to get backyard chickens for the whole county. We just went through redistricting, and I now have a new supervisor to ply with information. I was very disappointed that my new supervisor, voted against a motion to accept the Planning Commission's recommendation which would have allowed chickens on agricultural property countywide.

For some perspective, the PWC BOCS voted unanimously in February of last year to send a resolution to the Planning Commission asking them to investigate allowing chickens on 2 acres or more of agricultural property countywide. That's where this all started - but last night's decision left that problem unresolved. There are still people in Prince William County who are permitted to have HORSES, but not CHICKENS. I've seen horses and chickens. Horses are larger. We still need to have chicken parity with horses!!

There seems to be a deep and abiding fear of chickens and the devastation they will cause. I don't get it, and will continue with the education campaign!

Vic Cole

 

[SSnyder]

Thank you for posting your latest update, Vic. I just emailed you to ask for the latest, having not been able to see the most recent posts until now. I greatly appreciate the detail you give into the April meeting, although I am still not sure what that means for us, exactly. Maybe via email you can help me figure out if we qualify to have chickens yet and if so, what do we do, and if not, what you suggest. Either way, I will definitely become a part of your diplomatic and educated cause, as, like others on the this board, our desire to own chickens comes from an interest in organic foods (eggs) and our children being able to experience some farming, even in a semi-residential setting.

I have a background in water and health issues, and I would also be happy to help do research on the issue of waste and septic systems. The nay-sayer back in the 2010 meetings clearly didn't have any facts, as (as mentioned by someone else on the boards), not cleaning up after one's dog poses more of a problem than chickens, particularly if a coop is set away from the well. I volunteer with the Prince William Soil and Conservation District, and although I have not discussed this issue with them yet (I am just coming on board as an advocate - so I'll get to it), there are worse offenders in Prince William Co, namely geese that cause problems in our area streams and pose some e.Coli problems to septics if in a stream run-off/flood zone. I think it's ignorant for the Commission to take any resident's "word" that chickens pose a health problem without asking for facts and without also entertaining why most of us want chickens. I hope the County rep. who is racially biased is quieted by the fact that many of us have eloquent and intelligent reasons for wanting chickens. As you stated, PW laws are often ridiculous and behind the times, some rooted in racism, others rooted in folklore and misinformation. I hope there is a steady stream of change in PW that opts to listen to the residents.

That said, let me know how I can help. It sounds like right now, there is no further motion on the table in PW?

Shannyn

 

[tvcole]

Shannyn,

I just responded to your e-mail. Unfortunately, the action of the Board of Supervisors only gave some limited agricultural rights back to those who should never have been denied them in the first place. I believe there will need to be an avalanche of mail and calls from constituents before some of the members of the board will budge. One in particular will need to be overcome at the ballot box.

The ordinance they enacted is almost certainly the most complex in the country, and the finer points of it will be impractical to enforce. We bit out tongues while they imposed 50' setbacks on wells, 4 ft chicken wire fences, etc., because it had reached the point that if we objected to these points, we would end up with nothing. It is notable that no such restrictions are imposed on outdoor dog kennels or horses. And BTW, outdoor rabbit hutches are still illegal in Prince William County.

Hope this helps - more info in the e-mail. I'm sorry I don't have better news. We were pressing hard for a mirror ordinance to the one in Seattle. I fear we're too close to Washington, DC to enjoy much in the way of common sense or simplicity.

Vic Cole

 

[Thaddeus]

Hello Everyone!
I am new here and I was hoping that someone can bring me up to date on the situation here in Prince William County. Am I to understand the chickens are not allowed despite the fact that I have noisy neighbors, the neighbors' barking dogs and dog poop everywhere? I see that some people have chickens in the area, but I am sure that they are under a grandfather clause. It would really nice to have 2 or 3 chickens to provide fresh eggs instead of the overpriced ones that are factory-produced that we get at the grocery store. Can someone please inform me of what's going on, and what can be done to change these silly laws and ordnances?

 

[tvcole]

Thaddeus,

First the good news: if you have a house on your property, you can now have chickens on agricultural (A-1) property and some Semi-rural (SRR) property in some parts of the county. And if you have 10 acres of agriculturally zoned land, you can have chickens county-wide. The bad news: except for A-1 property over 10 acres, this only applies in the "domestic poultry overlay district," and only applies without encumberances to A-1 property. SRR property inside the poultry overlay will require a Special Use Permit (SUP) that will cost $115.95 through June 30, and $150 thereafter, and it will take 3 - 5 months to process. SRR property outside the overlay district is out of luck. Yes, if you have 2 or more acres on A-1 or SRR property anywhere in the county, you can have a horse - but chickens are such extraordinarily different from horses that they require special handling.

I asked the Prince William Board of County Supervisors to revise the new ordance to allow chickens without SUP anywhere horses are presently allowed, but they responded by saying they would like to "wait a few months" since they are suffering from "poultry fatigue." Personally, I am suffering from "BUREAUCRACY FATIGUE" and had I not been involved with this for the last 15 months, would not have believed this could be so hard.

What can be done? (1) Write your supervisor, (2) call your supervisor, (3) meet with your supervisor, (4) Repeat (1)-(3) every week, (5) Attend BOCS meetings and ask them for action during the pre-meeting citizens' time.

I recommend you join our Yahoo group - http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/princewilliamcountypoultry/ - I have more information posted there.

Vic

 

[Thaddeus]

Vic,
Thank you very much for the update. I will see what I can do. I really need to copy down all this stuff that has been discussed in this forum and send it to my folks back in Nebraska. I am sure that they will be amused with all the absurdities. Nevertheless, please keep me in the loop of anything going on such as town hall meetings and so forth.

By the way….what were some of the “racially biased” comments that were made by some public official? What does a person’s skin color have to do with wanting to raise chickens?

 

[tvcole]

Thaddeus,

Remember that Prince William County was in the middle of the illegal alien fracas a couple years ago. Evidently some people complained about chickens that were being kept by persons of ethnic persuasions who were suspected of bring illegal. There is the perception that because chickens are part of the normal daily life in underdeveloped countries, having them in the U.S. must mean that you are either an illegal alien or worse, you are trying to bring the old world here. It's a stupid stereotype, and makes no sense. It's hard to get people to deal strictly in facts and not interject personal fears, decades-old anecdotes, or hyperbole.

Vic

 

[tadyergey]

Vic -

On behalf of several of my friends in Nokesville, thanks for all you have done. Once Corey Stewart leaves after he has decimated the county in search of larger government to screw up things will get there. I know Wally Covington will support this and it will eventually be legal to have chicken on an acre. Keep up the great work.