Transitioning from roofed to roofless run

[K0k0shka]

In an unfortunate turn of events, I'll have to take the roof off of my run, because the town is counting the roofed run as a "building" and applying the building zoning code to it, and, as a building, it's too close to the property line (nevermind that I asked permission to build it as such in that location and got the okay from the two town officials in charge of this... ). So, we are where we are, and I need to take the roof off. I have two questions.

First - can I replace the roof with this welded wire mesh:

It's 2x3 inches and 16 ga. I know the spacing is too wide to stop everything, but this will only be over the top in place of a roof, and the chickens will be locked in the coop at night... I'm doing this balancing act between the town saying it can't be "covered" on top (definition of "covered" being stretchy and up to interpretation here), and my chickens being safe. Wider mesh makes it look less "covered". I know there are no clear answers, and dense HC is the best, but still... Given my situation, what do you think the risk is? I live in the suburbs and while we do have some animals, it's not teeming with wildlife.

And my second question. I'm sad to see the roof go because it kept the run dry. My chickens have never known precipitation, and probably won't be happy with the roof gone I still want to give them something overhead so they can use the yard in rainy/snowy weather, but I can't put anything on the roof. So I had this idea and bought two large patio umbrellas Nobody regulates those, so I can just put them in the run under the overhead mesh. They are square shape, so I can put one against the side of the coop flush with the wall, and give them a dry area to walk out onto when exiting the coop. And I'll put the other one in the opposite corner over their run perches, so they can have another dry area to hang out in. Patio umbrellas are meant for the outdoors so I'm hoping they'll do the job and be okay outside, though I've never had one myself and don't know how well they do in wind/rain/snow. That's where I'll appreciate your input. The run is pretty sheltered in a corner of the yard, with a 5' tall retaining wall 8 feet away on one side, and a 6' tall privacy fence on the other side of that corner (west and north respectively). For the winter, I'll put plastic (shower curtains) along the sides of the run on the south and east as well. So it will be pretty sheltered on all sides, with not a lot of wind blowing through. I'll anchor the umbrellas as well (one against the coop wall, and the other against the run wall). And I'll tilt them so they shed rain/snow better. Would that be enough? We don't get a lot of snow anymore. Every few years I'll have to take the snow blower out, the rest of the years there isn't enough to justify it.

What do you think? Again, I know there are no clear answers and part of this is accepting some risk. I just want to see what people with more experience think about this setup.

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Clarifications
(since I can't reply to every comment after this thread ballooned, I'm condensing the clarifications and answers to questions here so they don't get asked over and over).

- To see pictures of my setup, go to my coop page, linked under my profile picture

- I am only talking about the run, the coop is fine (fully roofed and moved farther out so it complies with zoning)

- I was here first; coop had been built when neighbor moved in but no run or chickens yet. I talked to him and he was fine with it, watched me build the run, accepted offer of eggs and small talk, never said a thing against it until after it was built. Started complaining before there were chickens there yet. Suddenly he was against the idea of chickens, not anything in particular that they did, looked, or smelled like, because they weren't there yet.

- There is no problem with the chickens themselves, as verified by multiple inspections from the town's Health Department. No smells, noise, roosters or anything else from his complaints that can be justified.

- I tried being nice first, offered eggs once they start laying, offered compromises, problem solving, modified the run over and over to address specific complaints, but nothing was ever enough because he just didn't want them there. Being nice accomplished nothing - he perceives kindness as weakness and gets even bolder, so it backfired.

- The town's building commissioner said I can't cover the run with anything other than wire. So no tarps, plexiglass, canvas, shade cloth etc. He said that the run is too close to the property line for a roofed structure, but if it has an open top, then it's in a different category (pen) and would be okay where it is.

- The "letter of the law" isn't specific enough to cover this kind of structure. The run is in a gray area, and it's up to the commissioner's interpretation to decide how to apply the law. He's trying to work with me and suggest how to modify it so I can keep it where it is (no roof). Which is still better than telling me to get rid of it, which he could've done but didn't. I'm still pissed that he okayed it before it was built, but oh well... I'm trying to look on the bright side here.

- I tried applying for a variance. It was denied (because there are objecting neighbors - a variance requires consent from abutting neighbors). It did buy me 4 months of time though - 4 months of having that nice roof

- I can't just move everything. My yard is not that big, and there are things in the way - large raised garden, fences, garage, and part of the property is on a steep slope. I would need to rebuild it anew very far out, in the middle of the only open part of the yard where my kids play... So I need to find a way to keep it where it is.

 

[MarkJr]

Ask them to make an exception. Tell them the alternative is a blue tarp, and you would rather not do that.

 

[K0k0shka]

Was he always there? Id seriously think about moving

I've been here for 8 years and he just moved in a few months ago. He should be the one to move

Somebody just suggested I paint a giant "CHICKEN LIVES MATTER" sign on the coop wall facing his house. In bright neon paint. I have to say, I'm not above these things (for a neighbor who deserves it).

 

[K0k0shka]

GOOD NEWS

The town’s health department just voted to pass the revisions to the animal keeping regulations and specifically exclude chickens! So chickens are not to be regulated, and the 150-foot setback rule does not apply to them! YES! The deadline for my corrections order was tomorrow, and the revisions don’t take effect for another two weeks (transitional period), so I’m still in limbo for two weeks, but the Board then also voted to change the non-compliance fine from $500/day to $1/day, so I wouldn’t have to keep the chickens in the basement! How amazing is that? I love my town! I thanked them profusely and they were touched, and genuinely happy for me. This is why I’ve always been nice to town officials and hidden my frustrations with them, even though this process took way too long and cost me way too much. It really paid off. They literally rewrote town law to get me out of this situation (and spare others my fate), in the midst of a year like this. They thanked me routinely throughout this half a year for being so kind and easy to work with (not always the case, lots of angry folks out there). I did fight hard for this, but I won them over with kindness, unlike my neighbor, who really put them off with his aggression and intimidation (of them, not just of me). That’s why I’m still super nice to the zoning department, too, even though they led me on about the run build. I don’t want to turn them against me. It’s just easier and more likely to get what you want if you go about it nicely and appeal to people’s humanity (those who have it, at least).

I wanted to be in compliance for tomorrow so, not knowing how the vote would turn out, I prepped the basement over the weekend and moved the chickens in there tonight. I am SO relieved that this part of the battle is finally over, and that I can enjoy my chickens, out in their run where they belong!

 

[K0k0shka]

Is the problem SEEING the coop? Could you put up some sort of fence or wall? Maybe the 'out of sight, out of mind' would work?

I put a 6-foot-tall privacy fence between us, so he can't actually see the chickens from his yard. But he can see them from the second floor of his house, and apparently that's too much. He wants "a nice view" out his bedroom window. Well I can see two blocks out from my second floor, but that doesn't mean I can dictate what people put on their property just because I can see it. If he wants to look out from the roof of his house and see tree tops and meadows, he should've moved to the woods.

 

[K0k0shka]

This is how we’re celebrating

 

[Rldad1]

First thing I would do is ask for a complete copy of the law, everything. I would then look at the LETTER of the law. I would then ask a lawyer friend or seek a lawyer who would do a free consultation and then ask them to review your setup versus the LETTER of the law, not the intent. If you meet the LETTER of the law he doesn't stand a chance and I would go after him for harassment. Two can play that game.

 

[K0k0shka]

Ask them to make an exception. Tell them the alternative is a blue tarp, and you would rather not do that.

I'm at war with the neighbor over the chickens and the town is trying to please both sides, so they're letting me put wire on top, but no tarp, sadly. I would have LOVED to put a fluorescent-colored tarp for him to look at, though!

 

[3KillerBs]

Our town is very complaint-based, they like to let people do their thing unless somebody raises a stink. Well, my neighbor did. So the building commissioner said that, because this is a controversial structure now and the neighbor is complaining, he can't let me have it all and needs to strike a compromise.

This is, IMO, very wrong.

Not to be political, but it strikes me as un-American for rules to be based on complaints and the whims of officials instead of written laws that clearly tell people what is and is not legal with nothing to prevent people from making frivolous complaints about things that were not against the rules until some individual with nothing better to do deciding to complain.

 

[nuthatched]

Alrighty, not knowing your yard space or coop but is there a way you can either lower the height of your run to a few feet high? Say, 3 or 4 feet then screen it over? Or reroute the run to be a chunnel (chicken tunnel) around the perimeter of your fence?
The table others have mentioned is great idea, just make a really long out door table.
Can you humanely trap and relocate the Pinta neighbor?