Rockledge, Florida - Let's Change the Law

[ValMac]

Wow, that's great. I really like your proposal. Longwood Code states no more than 5 pets for less than an acre here. We are a long ways from changing code yet, but we'll get there. Right now I'm working to help Winter Park allow them soon. Orlando already has a Pilot Program that started this year.

 

[Actually]

Congrats on passing that hurdle!

And thank you for posting the college paper link above. I sent that to my city council members. They just started studying the subject in Broomfield, CO.

P.S. My wife is from Rockledge. She'll be interested to hear the news

 

[SSTupperware]

Good news...

 

[Actually]

How'd it go on the 19th?

 

[CrosStitching]

Here is an article I posted up on Avid Homestead about the Rockledge initiative so far and how to help. http://avidhomestead.com/erin.aspx If you wanted to read any of the minutes from the meeting I've linked them all up on that article.

Here's basically what happened:

The city council wasn't ready to approve anything yet and they were concerned about how the Home owners association run neighborhoods would feel about this. They also thought that lot size in the oldest neighborhoods would be too small to allow this change. They were also incredibly uneducated on chickens and general chicken keeping practices. Many (what I would think of as) common sense things escaped them. One council woman asked how many acres chickens would need. So they voted (before asking for any open discussion between the citizens and them) to send the proposal back to the planning division for review and reworking. After they discussed other business, they allowed me to offer my advice and rebuttal where I was able to clear up some of their basic concerns and misconceptions about chickens.

Two good things did come from the meeting though:
1. We stirred up interest and there was a newspaper reporter there who published an article about us yesterday! http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20121002/NEWS01/310020012/Chickens-may-come-home-roost-Rockledge

2. I have teemed up with Avid Homestead and we're meeting weekly to battle this out together. We're currently putting together information packets to educate the Planning commission and City Council on basic chicken husbandry, FAQ's, why we want chickens, etc. We will then schedule meetings with each of the members and follow up with them individually to answer any questions and make sure we've got their attention.


We've talked with the planning commission to see what the next steps are and what the new proposal will be. It goes something like this: each subdivision (there's probably 100ish in the city) will either be allowed or not allowed to keep chickens based upon a majority vote (to be determined by the council) by the residents with signatures to be turned in to the city.
This plan is, of course, complete bologna and will not be feasible by any means. So part of what Avid Homestead and I plan to do is gather more Rockledge signatures for the petition so we can go into the next planning meeting scheduled for Nov. 6 with a stack of signatures from residents stating they DO WANT chickens. Hopefully that alone will curtail this whole subdivision-majority-nonsense-of-a-plan and get us moving in a more reasonable direction. I think the original plan was fine, maybe adjust the boundary lines a bit, and allow the homeowner's association neighborhoods to allow/not allow chickens by their own rules, but still, nothing really needs to be changed for it to pass. We think the city is stalling and everyone is trying to play it safe until re-elections in November, so we plan on staying on top of this to make sure something happens.

What you can do to help:

• We need people at the meetings to show the councils that we DO WANT chickens in Rockledge, FL. The Next meeting is on Nov. 6th, at 6pm at Rockledge City Hall.
• Sign the Petition and ask as many of your friends as possible especially those living in Rockledge to sign the Petition.
• Write letters to the Rockledge Planning Board and City Council members to ask them to pass the new chicken ordinance, and that this is a good thing for our city.

 

[Actually]

Yes, it sounds as if you have some very uneducated Council members. The Council members in my town said that the HOA neighborhoods probably already have something in their bylaws which would not allow chickens which overrides anything the City does. And if they don't, they are free to make whatever changes they want to their bylaws so those neighborhoods aren't even a concern for the City Council.

Your education plan sounds good. Maybe your meetings could be at a place where there is a coop. No better way to show them the facts than let them see firsthand, I think. Also, see if you can get someone from Animal Control on your side. That will be beneficial as, in the end, they will be the ones who would have to deal with any issues that arise.

I also used this forum to find other residents of my town and get them organized (outside the forum) and get them actively educating their specific Council members (there are five Wards in our city). Another idea is to look into doing an egg co-op. You may have neighbors who would like the eggs, but don't want the full time responsibility of caring for the chickens. Everyone gets their days to open and close the coop and they get whatever eggs are laid those days. Buying feed is rotated, etc. Big jobs like building the coop and major cleanings become group projects. This lightens your load and gets more people involved with changing the law. If any of your neighbors are interested in this, then they should come out in support of changing the law. Something to think about.

Keep fighting and try to bring in what other nearby towns have done (Cocoa, Merritt Island, Melbourne, etc.). That seemed to carry a lot of weight with my Council members. Most all the towns around us allow chickens.

 

[CrosStitching]

Those are great ideas. I believe our code enforcement officer is on our side. She has been really nice and helpful. I'm going to contact the code enforcement/animal control in the neighboring towns and Orlando and find out what kind of complaints have come up if any. I'm assuming the number will be very low and help ease some of the fears. Yeah, I don't know why they're hemming and hawing about the homeowner's assoc. neighbor hoods. Seems silly to me too.

 

[Actually]

Two more ideas to help you drum up support. Call the Brevard County Extension Office in Cocoa. Ask them for the contact for 4H. Then call that person and tell them how you are trying to change the laws in Rockledge and ask them to give your contact info to anyone they know in Rockledge who might be interested in having hens. Second, ask around until you find someone in town who is connected to the home school community. Not because having chickens is educational for the kids, but because home schoolers tend to be (in my experience) down to earth, holistic people. I got lucky and found two birds with one phone call. I hope this helps.

 

[Mindychick]

Apparently our official is working to put in a new park and edible garden in a lower income area this weekend, so I'll plan on mailing him this letter on Monday. What do you think?

Hello Mr. Griffin,

I was referred to you by Ms. Maddie Curtis. For the past few months, I have been looking into owning a few chickens as pets. After doing extensive research, contacted Ms. Curtis to find out if it was even legal to keep chickens in Rockledge. I was very disappointed to find out that it is not legal, and she suggested I contact you to request a change in Zoning Regulations for the residential Rockledge area.

For my own personal use and at the request of my husband, I researched the benefits, requirements, expenses, and even drawbacks as keeping chickens as pets. My research was very encouraging and I learned a great deal that persuaded me to believe chicken keeping would be a good option for our family. My husband and oldest son are severely allergic to dogs and cats, but chickens would not pose a problem. But since I am requesting a change that should apply to, and benefit, everyone, I'd like to list the benefits and most common concerns when keeping chickens as pets. I have attached this file as a word document for your convenience.

The following is my suggested proposal for the change to the municipal code that would govern the keeping of these pets. I have taken into account the average lot size for single-family homes, the amount of birds needed to provide for an average family of four, noise and nuisance regulations, enclosure requirements, and distance from neighbors.

Under Section 88.00
a. Small flocks of poultry will be allowed within residential areas under the following conditions:
1. No more than four (4) hens shall be allowed for each single-family dwelling.
2. No roosters shall be allowed.
3. Hens shall be included in the number of four (4) allowable pets along with dogs, cats, and other domesticated pets.
Ex: 2 hens, 1 dog, 1 cat for a total of four domestic pets.
4. Hens must be kept in secure enclosures and are not allowed off of the owner’s property. Under direct supervision, hens may be allowed to free range in a fully enclosed, fenced-in yard.
5. Enclosures must be kept at least 25ft from the nearest neighbor’s residence.
6. Hens must be housed in clean, humane coops that are regularly maintained to prevent offensive odors.
7. Feed must be stored in pest-proof containers, such as a 5 gallon bucket with tight fitting lid.


This is a collegiate essay that I found most helpful in understanding and creating chicken laws in residential areas.
http://media.timesfreepress.com/docs/2009/01/Ordinance_research_paper.pdf
It is a comparison of 25 United States cities where chicken keeping is allowed and the different laws within these cities. It was written to help city councils make informed and wise regulations in favor of keeping chickens within residential backyards.

The urban chicken movement is growing in popularity and is something many cities (such as Melbourne) have decided to, or are in the process of considering to support. I believe that Rockledge is the perfect city for a reform of the current law to take place. Backyard hen keeping is a wonderful companion to the urban garden movement that our city supported just this weekend by planting an edible garden at the new Anderson Park. I know our city cares about sustainability as evidenced by the recent recycling initiatives and by offering the old hobo garbage cans to residents for composting use. Hen keeping is another great way to encourage natural recycling, that is sustainable, while also offering residents charming pets who give back with daily with fresh organic eggs. I sincerely hope that my request will be given careful consideration and thought. I would be happy to answer any questions that may arise and research additional concerns that you may have.

Thank you for your time and all your hard work,

Sincerely,

Erin Cross

This is a wonderful letter!!! Good luck I hope they will help you out.

 

[flgardengirl]

I hope you get approved for chickens. I am lucky to be in a part of FL that does allow farm animals including poultry. I moved here on purpose from a nicer area just so I could have my hens and crowing roosters even though the neighborhood is not really the best. It would be great if they were just allowed everywhere in FL. Beware, they are addicting. I can already see that I am going to have to move to a much larger farm lol.