Someone Complained, Chickens Must Go -- Joliet, IL

[chitown chicks]

he said he dont eat eggs. to much cholesterol

LMAO
Send him some info from WAPF, paleo, primal, traditional diet regarding eggs.

 

[chitown chicks]

And, what about his only getting 26% of the vote? Is he truly representing the general consensus of Joliet regarding chickens? I am genuinely interested.

 

[agrippina]

And, what about his only getting 26% of the vote? Is he truly representing the general consensus of Joliet regarding chickens? I am genuinely interested.

That I really don't know. We're certainly not as fore-thinking as some of our neighboring towns. If, like he says, 98% of his emails are anti-chicken, then his victory margin in the chicken regard is meaningless.

And, someone did report me, so I have at least one anti-chicken neighbor. However, one of my other neighbors also volunteered to build my coop, for free; several others have signed my petition, and some who were very skeptical at first now want chickens of their own. And none of that would have happened if I had listened to the "authorities" and never got chickens in the first place, you know?

I think a great part of winning hearts and minds over this is actually going to have to involve real exposure to chickens. Most of the people around here have never had actual, physical contact with one. Well, not living ones, anyway.

 

[codechicken1]

Get a copy of your particular zoning district information (the district in which your property is located). You can request it under the freedom of information act, but they do have five days in which to respond to your request.
If the Zoning Officer has a clue, he will give it to you right there.
You need to ask him to show you where n the Ordinance it says you can not have chickens.
Again, in the Zoning Ord. there will be a section for definitions. If he comes up with a section that he says applies, make sure you read the definition of what he is claiming and see if it specifically calls out chickens or poultry.

 

[chitown chicks]

That I really don't know. We're certainly not as fore-thinking as some of our neighboring towns. If, like he says, 98% of his emails are anti-chicken, then his victory margin in the chicken regard is meaningless.

And, someone did report me, so I have at least one anti-chicken neighbor. However, one of my other neighbors also volunteered to build my coop, for free; several others have signed my petition, and some who were very skeptical at first now want chickens of their own. And none of that would have happened if I had listened to the "authorities" and never got chickens in the first place, you know?

I think a great part of winning hearts and minds over this is actually going to have to involve real exposure to chickens. Most of the people around here have never had actual, physical contact with one. Well, not living ones, anyway.

I hope I didn't come off snarky regarding the percentage of votes he received. Hope I didn't offend anyone. That 26% was what I read online.

I think your last few sentences hits it on the head, doesn't it. This is where so many of us get hung up. Most people these days don't know where their food comes from. It's shocking, yet true, that most kids don't know that vegetables come from the ground! They don't know ketchup is made from tomatoes and they certainly don't understand chickens and eggs. Most of our neighbors, no matter the town, have never been face to face with any animal beside a dog, cat, or caged small animal. So sad.

 

[agrippina]

Get a copy of your particular zoning district information (the district in which your property is located). You can request it under the freedom of information act, but they do have five days in which to respond to your request.
If the Zoning Officer has a clue, he will give it to you right there.
You need to ask him to show you where n the Ordinance it says you can not have chickens.
Again, in the Zoning Ord. there will be a section for definitions. If he comes up with a section that he says applies, make sure you read the definition of what he is claiming and see if it specifically calls out chickens or poultry.

This is what they're telling us we're in violation of:

47-5.1 PERMITTED PRINCIPAL USES
No land shall be used or occupied and no building or structure shall be designed, erected, altered, enlarged,
occupied or used other than for one of the following uses:
(a) single family dwellings within a planned unit development and single family dwellings on a
parcel of land less than five (5) acres in size, provided that for the purposes of this section, all
contiguous parcels of real property owned or controlled by the owner, or a subsidiary or affiliate
of the owner, shall be aggregated to determine compliance with the five acre limitation;*
(b) essential services;
(c) churches, rectories and parish houses provided:
(1) the church, rectory or parish house is located not less than twenty (20) feet from any other
lot located in a residential district; and
(2) the church, rectory or parish house is adjacent to a school or business district; or
(3) the church, rectory or parish house is located on an arterial or collector street
(d) agricultural uses, provided no retail sales are regularly made on the premises and provided
further that no building housing farm animals is located on the premises;
(e) community residential homes, subject to the provisions of Section 47-15D.
*ORDINANCE #16738; REVISED 12/7/10

 

[RoseyB]

So I'm picturing a very secure 4 sided wire fence run. Even roofed in with wire, it's not a building. A couple crates for nesting boxes....still not a building. With perches, it's still not a building.
It's not saying you can't have chickens; it's only saying you can't have a building to house them. Take away the coop and make a huge secure run to keep them in. HUGE run. I would make my whole yard one big chicken run, With no building. Use their own words against them ; )

 

[chitown chicks]

So I'm picturing a very secure 4 sided wire fence run. Even roofed in with wire, it's not a building. A couple crates for nesting boxes....still not a building. With perches, it's still not a building.
It's not saying you can't have chickens; it's only saying you can't have a building to house them. Take away the coop and make a huge secure run to keep them in. HUGE run. I would make my whole yard one big chicken run, With no building. Use their own words against them ; )

This is funny. Could even be fun. However, they're already likely to write an ordinance against chickens, one that makes it very clear that there will be no backyard chickens anywhere in Joliet. I don't feel irritating the city even further is a good idea.
As usual, my two cents.

 

[AnonAMauze]

Signed for you. Chickens are awesome pets. Keep your fingers crossed! You're almost there!

 

[Tammy N]

3 from here Good luck