Planners Hear From Community On Proposed Hen Ordinance
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Jennifer [email protected]
The city council will review the ordinance in April.
James Bausch, Warsaw resident, first approached the city council with a request to allow chickens in the city limits. He attended Monday’s plan commission meeting and encouraged the commission to support an ordinance that would allow hens in the city limits.
“Looking at the proposal before you, you are looking at hobbyist chicken keepers, not John and Jane Doe who want some cheap eggs,” Bausch said.
He reminded the commission those who want chickens must take a class, pay a permit fee and present their proposal to the building and planning department.
Ellen Schwendeman, Warsaw resident, said she supports allowing chickens in the city limits.
She said she previously raised as many as eight chickens on her property at one time. However, she found out the city did not permit chickens in the city limits and she got rid of them.
She said the chickens helped with her garden’s compost, encouraged her family to eat healthier and got her outside more often.
“These are sensitive and intelligent animals, and they have personalities, and you name them and they become pets that come when you call them,” Schwendeman said. “They are entertaining. We call it chicken theater. You can sit there and watch them and it’s relaxing.”
She said she had considered moving outside the city limits at one point so she could own hens again, and said her neighbors are interested in raising chickens if the city approves a chicken ordinance.
Dan Smith, Warsaw resident, said he used to have chickens when he lived in the county and chicken vultures came and killed his chickens. He wondered if there would be rules that would require chicken coops to be fully enclosed.
Tim Dombrosky, assistant city planner, said the coops will be required to be closed on the tops and bottom.
The city received letters in support of allowing hens in the city limits. Dombrosky said five chickens will lay a dozen eggs total in a week.
Mike Ragan, Warsaw resident, said he had concerns with allowing hens in the city limits without a buffer on properties.
“We have 21 backyards facing our property and it’s bad enough looking at the doghouses, pools and backyard grills,” Ragan said.
Larry Ladd, Warsaw resident, said he is concerned with the chickens and coops aesthetically devaluing neighboring properties, rodents being attracted by the chicken waste and the issue of odor.
“In the beginning it would be a novelty, but I’m concerned with those who are not responsible when the expense exceeds their income,” Ladd said.The ordinance proposal says domestic chickens will only be permitted as an accessory to owner-occupied single-family residential uses. No commercial sales related to chicken keeping will be permitted on site.
The proposal addresses the number of hens and states hens are not allowed on parcels less than 0.125 acres; four hens are allowed on 0.125 to 0.25 acres of property; and five hens are allowed on 0.25 acres or more of property.
The proposal states that chicken coops and runs must meet the following setbacks: 6 feet or more behind the rear line of the principle building; 25 feet from principle structures not owned by the owner of the coop; 50 feet from lakes, rivers, streams, creeks, storm drains, flood plains, drains and ditches; and must be separated from adjacent properties, streets and alleys by a 5-foot buffer or established vegetation.
The ordinance proposal addresses housing of the chickens and states a chicken coop and run must be provided with having a footprint smaller than 40 square feet each, limited to 5 feet in height; are impermeable to predators including dogs and predatory birds; and the coop is constructed of uniform building materials and maintained in a good state of repair.
There also is a domestic chicken code draft that states it is not the responsibility of the animal control officer to return lost chickens to the owner.
Owners of domestic chickens must provide a chicken coop and attached chicken run that are clean and dry; keep chickens completely and securely enclosed and under the control of the owner on the owner’s property at all times.
Other rules are to keep the chicken coop, run and surrounding area free from trash and accumulated droppings; dispose of uneaten feed in a timely manner; compost or dispose of the chicken excrement; and complete a chicken keeping class held by the Kosciusko County Purdue Extension office.
Those who want to have chickens must apply for and hold a current and valid permit from Warsaw Building and Planning Department.
A permit must be approved on first application. A permit will be renewed annually and be approved after verification of compliance with the code but not limited to cleanliness, location and number of chickens.
The planning department may request a report including pictures to verify information required for permit approval and only one permit will be granted per person.
The planning department and or animal control officer must deny or revoke a permit to any person who has failed or refused to comply with the permit requirements.
The commission addressed the topic of slaughtering and decided they would like language put in the ordinance that would only allow slaughtering out of sight of the public.[[In-content Ad]]
The city council will review the ordinance in April.
James Bausch, Warsaw resident, first approached the city council with a request to allow chickens in the city limits. He attended Monday’s plan commission meeting and encouraged the commission to support an ordinance that would allow hens in the city limits.
“Looking at the proposal before you, you are looking at hobbyist chicken keepers, not John and Jane Doe who want some cheap eggs,” Bausch said.
He reminded the commission those who want chickens must take a class, pay a permit fee and present their proposal to the building and planning department.
Ellen Schwendeman, Warsaw resident, said she supports allowing chickens in the city limits.
She said she previously raised as many as eight chickens on her property at one time. However, she found out the city did not permit chickens in the city limits and she got rid of them.
She said the chickens helped with her garden’s compost, encouraged her family to eat healthier and got her outside more often.
“These are sensitive and intelligent animals, and they have personalities, and you name them and they become pets that come when you call them,” Schwendeman said. “They are entertaining. We call it chicken theater. You can sit there and watch them and it’s relaxing.”
She said she had considered moving outside the city limits at one point so she could own hens again, and said her neighbors are interested in raising chickens if the city approves a chicken ordinance.
Dan Smith, Warsaw resident, said he used to have chickens when he lived in the county and chicken vultures came and killed his chickens. He wondered if there would be rules that would require chicken coops to be fully enclosed.
Tim Dombrosky, assistant city planner, said the coops will be required to be closed on the tops and bottom.
The city received letters in support of allowing hens in the city limits. Dombrosky said five chickens will lay a dozen eggs total in a week.
Mike Ragan, Warsaw resident, said he had concerns with allowing hens in the city limits without a buffer on properties.
“We have 21 backyards facing our property and it’s bad enough looking at the doghouses, pools and backyard grills,” Ragan said.
Larry Ladd, Warsaw resident, said he is concerned with the chickens and coops aesthetically devaluing neighboring properties, rodents being attracted by the chicken waste and the issue of odor.
“In the beginning it would be a novelty, but I’m concerned with those who are not responsible when the expense exceeds their income,” Ladd said.The ordinance proposal says domestic chickens will only be permitted as an accessory to owner-occupied single-family residential uses. No commercial sales related to chicken keeping will be permitted on site.
The proposal addresses the number of hens and states hens are not allowed on parcels less than 0.125 acres; four hens are allowed on 0.125 to 0.25 acres of property; and five hens are allowed on 0.25 acres or more of property.
The proposal states that chicken coops and runs must meet the following setbacks: 6 feet or more behind the rear line of the principle building; 25 feet from principle structures not owned by the owner of the coop; 50 feet from lakes, rivers, streams, creeks, storm drains, flood plains, drains and ditches; and must be separated from adjacent properties, streets and alleys by a 5-foot buffer or established vegetation.
The ordinance proposal addresses housing of the chickens and states a chicken coop and run must be provided with having a footprint smaller than 40 square feet each, limited to 5 feet in height; are impermeable to predators including dogs and predatory birds; and the coop is constructed of uniform building materials and maintained in a good state of repair.
There also is a domestic chicken code draft that states it is not the responsibility of the animal control officer to return lost chickens to the owner.
Owners of domestic chickens must provide a chicken coop and attached chicken run that are clean and dry; keep chickens completely and securely enclosed and under the control of the owner on the owner’s property at all times.
Other rules are to keep the chicken coop, run and surrounding area free from trash and accumulated droppings; dispose of uneaten feed in a timely manner; compost or dispose of the chicken excrement; and complete a chicken keeping class held by the Kosciusko County Purdue Extension office.
Those who want to have chickens must apply for and hold a current and valid permit from Warsaw Building and Planning Department.
A permit must be approved on first application. A permit will be renewed annually and be approved after verification of compliance with the code but not limited to cleanliness, location and number of chickens.
The planning department may request a report including pictures to verify information required for permit approval and only one permit will be granted per person.
The planning department and or animal control officer must deny or revoke a permit to any person who has failed or refused to comply with the permit requirements.
The commission addressed the topic of slaughtering and decided they would like language put in the ordinance that would only allow slaughtering out of sight of the public.[[In-content Ad]]
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