Ridgefield, Washington - Updated 5/30-

[SMan]

Anyone else in Ridgefield, WA city limits thats disagrees with the 100 feet from residence rule? Already talked to city manager and was very helpful, but the more people trying to get a change the better.

 

[digitS']

I'm not in Ridgefield but it sounds a little like Spokane WA's new rule: 90 feet from the center of the street AND from any property line.

Think about these numbers. At minimum size, city lots are often 4,000 or 5,000 square feet. Some cities can apparently afford (or want residents who can afford

) lots of about twice that size at 8,500 or 9,000 square feet. Those are not uncommon suburban lots.

So, you have a large suburban-sized lot of 9,000 sqft and think you could have some chickens. That lot is probably 90' x 100'. Where on it can you put a coop that's 100' from a residence. Of course, you can't

.

Let's say you have two of these large lots. Unless yours and your neighbors' houses are very oddly sited - you still can't get 100 feet from a residence!

Spokane's rule, adopted a year or 2 ago, has your coop 90 feet from a property line. Go back to that double suburban-sized lot. There's no way in heck you can get 90' from a property line. You would need to own 4 lots of that size - on 2 streets

- to get a coop that far from a property line. That would be city property amounting to nearly an acre!

There are probably few people who could afford so much city land who would have an interest in raising chickens. I'm sure others have made the case here: these kinds of ordinances are simply to deny the keeping of chickens while not actually "forbidding" them. The result is the same.

Steve

 

[GopherBoyFarms]

Quote:
Hmmm...never heard of that....glad we are in Vancouver, LOL
Is your 100 feet rule that the coop must be 100 feet, or the chickens? Cuz my flock loves to sit at the backdoor during the day...I dont think I could make them stay 100 feet away from us........but they free range all day.
I think as long as you and your neighbors have no issues with your chickens than no one else should!

~Tiff~

PS How many chickens do you have? Is there a limit in Ridgefield to the numbers?

 

[SMan]

As of now 0, MIL has them and will be keeping them. Hopefully I can get an exemption (one pain neighbor behind me), was planing on getting some again now that kids got a little older and don't have the extra kids to take care of. Laws below (small lots here, but not to small, still cant keep it 100 feet from all houses and got one neighbor that reports "nuisance noise" when I was building a flower box.)



C. It is unlawful to house poultry or livestock other than normal household pets within one hundred feet of any residence.



On a side note, why in a law referring to poultry and livestock do they use the statement normal household pets? I asked they didn't know, seems to be going good now little town and they seem helpful I'll see how it goes.

 

[Chicken Rustler]

I would have them clarify this. The way it is written it leaves a gray area. What is "normal household pets" ? To some that may be like dogs and cats butto others that may be like chickens and small goats. They need to spell it out more specific. Perhaps I could help you with the neighbor who complains about noise. I make very large steel wind chimes / bells. They sound very nice but this sounds like the kind of person they could work as a "revenge toy" on. And how can they do anything about you having wind chimes.

 

[GopherBoyFarms]

Good luck SMan..... sorry about the neighbor issue...we asked all our neighbors prior to the first 25 chicks coming here. None have a problem, as a matter of fact...most of the neighbors really enjoy them, and buy eggs from my son. We do have a rooster (well a few) but the one that crows LOUD is in the coop till after 7:00am so by that time when I let him out no one cares if he crows and you cant hear him if he is in the coop.
Hope all goes well for you.....can't your chickens be "household pets"? Ours are! LOL

 

[SMan]

Meet with city council and they were really nice, liked the packet I presented and gave the tentative OK (OK to planner to change ordinance and finalize some things). Looks like 20-25 feet from residences (mines going fairly close to my house near a window for kiddies to watch in winter, but far from others.) Thanks to all the groups trying for chickens that I e-mailed and plagiarized

(with permission).

 

[digitS']

Quote:
Really?! 20 to 25 feet?!

What a change! Heck my coop is nearly on the property line but it must be that far from both the neighbor's house and my own. (The neighbor has never complained and we've gone months between, "Oh, you have chickens again!" "No, we've had these right along."

)

A BYC person from Spokane tells us that this WA city is not enforcing its 90 foot rule.

Good for Washington and Good for You! Shows that change is possible when requests are reasonable and rules are not.

Steve

 

[mikecnorthwest]

I live in unincorporated Clark County just south of Ridgefield and thank goodness we have no restrictions on chickens. I think you handled this well from the sound of it. Ridgefield has had its share of problems so allowing a few chickens seems reasonable compared to what they've been through recently. Lord knows they can't afford any more legal bills if someone were interested in fighting their ordinance.

 

[SMan]

Chicks pending 5/20

(need the official OK and time to build coop), Then would like to also try and find some "show quality line" of Silkie pullets

(or chicks and hope for a pullet.