Proposed changes for keeping chickens in Austin
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susan
Aug 26, 2013, 8:47:13 PM8/26/13
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"It is dangerous to be right in matters on which the established authorities are wrong." -Voltaire
-----Original Message-----
From: vicky barnes <vickybar...@yahoo.com>
To: austinperm <austi...@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Mon, Aug 26, 2013 7:09 pm
Subject: [austinperm] Proposed changes for keeping chickens in Austin
From: vicky barnes <vickybar...@yahoo.com>
To: austinperm <austi...@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Mon, Aug 26, 2013 7:09 pm
Subject: [austinperm] Proposed changes for keeping chickens in Austin
This information comes to us from Michelle Hernandes, Organizer of Austin Backyard Chicken
Changes being considered to Austin’s ordinances for keeping fowl are under review. If passed, the setback for keeping 2+ poultry could be reduced from 50 feet to 20 feet for 2-10 birds and from 50 feet to 40 feet for 11+ birds. The City of Austin’s Sustainable Food Policy Board (SFPB) will meet to review this and other items on 8/26. Please consider sending input to the City of Austin's SFPB, Planning Commission, and City Council and also, if able, attending the 8/26 SFPB meeting from 12:30 - 2:30 p.m. at City Hall.
Austin resident or not, you can express your input for this matter by the means noted below.
These proposed changes came about as part of proposals for the CoA Urban Farm Code. You can read or post comments on this topic at:
http://www.meetup.com/AustinBackyardPoultry/messages/boards/thread/37361522/post/107596362/?hash=107596362#107596362
The full text of the initial post for the above listed thread is below:
REQUEST:
If this matter is of interest to you, please write prior to 8/26 to the Sustainable Food Policy Board, the Planning Commission, and the City Council with your opinion on the proposed changes to 3-2-16. If you can't write before 8/26, please write as soon as you are able.
PROPOSED CHANGES:
Here is how the ***proposed*** changes read:
§ 3-2-16 ENCLOSURE FOR FOWL.
An enclosure used to keep two or more two to 10 fowl must be located at least 20 feet from a residence or business, excluding the residence or business of the fowl’s owner or handler. An enclosure used to keep more than 10 fowl must be located at least 40 feet from a residence or business, excluding the residence or business of the fowl’s owner or handler.
COA STAFF REVIEW CONCERNS ON PROPOSED CHANGES:
The CoA staff reviewed the proposal and noted, "this revision [the above proposed changes to 3-2-16] dramatically reduces the setback for fowl from 50' to as little as 20' (60% reduction). EHSD receives numerous complaints every year from citizens regarding the odors, sanitary conditions and noise from chickens and other fowl. Reducing the existing setback distances will increase the number of complaints and neighbors will have no ability to create a separation from their own home and a neighbor's chickens.
These animal enclosure setbacks are intended to protect the rights and quality of life of neighboring property owners and should not be reduced without good cause.
REQUEST SPECIFICS:
The CoA Staff concerns are on odor, noise, and sanitary conditions. I know many, many of this meetup's membership personally and know you run tip-top chicken coop setups that are clean and odor free. I also know many of you do not have incessantly noisy birds.
It would help SFPB, Planning Commission, and City Council to understand how you keep your flocks in compliance, sanitary, and odor free and (not incessantly noisy) and any other thoughts you'd like to share with them on 3-2-16. A short letter/email with supporting photos or video links if appropriate - and if your coop is in compliance of course! - would also provide additional aid.
Likewise, if you have an opinion that is not in favor of the changes, you can express those, too.
UPCOMING MEETINGS:
The SFPB meets on 8/26 from 12:30 - 2:30 pm at:
CITY HALL, BOARDS & COMMISSION ROOM, FIRST FLOOR 301 W. SECOND STREET
AUSTIN, TEXAS, 78701
The agenda and supporting documents are under the 8/26 meeting at:
http://www.austintexa...
You can sign up sometime before the meeting starts to speak to an item on the agenda. It sounds like the signup starts roughly between noon and the meeting time. People can speak in the order they signed up to speak.
Come out and also share your thoughts in person if you can.
SENDING COMMUNICATION TO SFPB, PLANNING COMMISSION, AND CITY COUNCIL:
SFPB Board Members emails are at: http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/boards/results.cfm?bid=100151
and are listed below for convenience:
bc-Paula....@austintexas.gov,
bc-Ronda...@austintexas.gov ,
bc-Rob....@austintexas.gov ,
bc-Hildre...@austintexas.gov ,
bc-Kath...@austintexas.gov ,
bc-Melan...@austintexas.gov ,
bc-Michele....@austintexas.gov,
bc-Kather...@austintexas.gov ,
bc-Mary...@austintexas.gov
Planning Commission member emails are at:
http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/boards/results.cfm?bid=43
and are listed below for convenience:
bc-Dave....@austintexas.gov, bc-Alfonso...@austintexas.gov, bc-Jean...@austintexas.gov, bc-Danett...@austintexas.gov, bc-Jef...@austintexas.gov, bc-Jame...@austintexas.gov, bc-Steph...@austintexas.gov, bc-Bria...@austintexas.gov, bc-Myro...@austintexas.gov
City Council emails are at:
http://austintexas.gov/department/austin-city-council-members
To send to all City Council members, go to: http://www.austintexas.gov/mail/all-council-members
One good solution is to build a raised bed, and
then build a wall of strawbales, hay, etc, AROUND that
raised bed. So then you have the benefits of both a raised
bed (good drainage, ability to control soil quality) and a
sunken bed (improved moisture-retention and wind
protection).
We did this in New Mexico where it was extremely dry and
windy. We made the wall 6" to a foot higher than the
raised bed. ("We" being students of a residential
permaculture program that lasted a few months, that is
unfortunately no longer in existence.)
jenny
--- In austi...@yahoogroups.com,
Wendy Leiva <wendy.p.leiva@...> wrote:
>
> Jason -- If you happen to live in some of the few areas
of Central Texas
> that aren't on limestone or clay, sunken beds can
be great. But most people
> in this area have such little luck trying to dig down
that it's best to
> build up.
Changes being considered to Austin’s ordinances for keeping fowl are under review. If passed, the setback for keeping 2+ poultry could be reduced from 50 feet to 20 feet for 2-10 birds and from 50 feet to 40 feet for 11+ birds. The City of Austin’s Sustainable Food Policy Board (SFPB) will meet to review this and other items on 8/26. Please consider sending input to the City of Austin's SFPB, Planning Commission, and City Council and also, if able, attending the 8/26 SFPB meeting from 12:30 - 2:30 p.m. at City Hall.
Austin resident or not, you can express your input for this matter by the means noted below.
These proposed changes came about as part of proposals for the CoA Urban Farm Code. You can read or post comments on this topic at:
http://www.meetup.com/AustinBackyardPoultry/messages/boards/thread/37361522/post/107596362/?hash=107596362#107596362
The full text of the initial post for the above listed thread is below:
REQUEST:
If this matter is of interest to you, please write prior to 8/26 to the Sustainable Food Policy Board, the Planning Commission, and the City Council with your opinion on the proposed changes to 3-2-16. If you can't write before 8/26, please write as soon as you are able.
PROPOSED CHANGES:
Here is how the ***proposed*** changes read:
§ 3-2-16 ENCLOSURE FOR FOWL.
An enclosure used to keep two or more two to 10 fowl must be located at least 20 feet from a residence or business, excluding the residence or business of the fowl’s owner or handler. An enclosure used to keep more than 10 fowl must be located at least 40 feet from a residence or business, excluding the residence or business of the fowl’s owner or handler.
COA STAFF REVIEW CONCERNS ON PROPOSED CHANGES:
The CoA staff reviewed the proposal and noted, "this revision [the above proposed changes to 3-2-16] dramatically reduces the setback for fowl from 50' to as little as 20' (60% reduction). EHSD receives numerous complaints every year from citizens regarding the odors, sanitary conditions and noise from chickens and other fowl. Reducing the existing setback distances will increase the number of complaints and neighbors will have no ability to create a separation from their own home and a neighbor's chickens.
These animal enclosure setbacks are intended to protect the rights and quality of life of neighboring property owners and should not be reduced without good cause.
REQUEST SPECIFICS:
The CoA Staff concerns are on odor, noise, and sanitary conditions. I know many, many of this meetup's membership personally and know you run tip-top chicken coop setups that are clean and odor free. I also know many of you do not have incessantly noisy birds.
It would help SFPB, Planning Commission, and City Council to understand how you keep your flocks in compliance, sanitary, and odor free and (not incessantly noisy) and any other thoughts you'd like to share with them on 3-2-16. A short letter/email with supporting photos or video links if appropriate - and if your coop is in compliance of course! - would also provide additional aid.
Likewise, if you have an opinion that is not in favor of the changes, you can express those, too.
UPCOMING MEETINGS:
The SFPB meets on 8/26 from 12:30 - 2:30 pm at:
CITY HALL, BOARDS & COMMISSION ROOM, FIRST FLOOR 301 W. SECOND STREET
AUSTIN, TEXAS, 78701
The agenda and supporting documents are under the 8/26 meeting at:
http://www.austintexa...
You can sign up sometime before the meeting starts to speak to an item on the agenda. It sounds like the signup starts roughly between noon and the meeting time. People can speak in the order they signed up to speak.
Come out and also share your thoughts in person if you can.
SENDING COMMUNICATION TO SFPB, PLANNING COMMISSION, AND CITY COUNCIL:
SFPB Board Members emails are at: http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/boards/results.cfm?bid=100151
and are listed below for convenience:
bc-Paula....@austintexas.gov,
bc-Ronda...@austintexas.gov ,
bc-Rob....@austintexas.gov ,
bc-Hildre...@austintexas.gov ,
bc-Kath...@austintexas.gov ,
bc-Melan...@austintexas.gov ,
bc-Michele....@austintexas.gov,
bc-Kather...@austintexas.gov ,
bc-Mary...@austintexas.gov
Planning Commission member emails are at:
http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/boards/results.cfm?bid=43
and are listed below for convenience:
bc-Dave....@austintexas.gov, bc-Alfonso...@austintexas.gov, bc-Jean...@austintexas.gov, bc-Danett...@austintexas.gov, bc-Jef...@austintexas.gov, bc-Jame...@austintexas.gov, bc-Steph...@austintexas.gov, bc-Bria...@austintexas.gov, bc-Myro...@austintexas.gov
City Council emails are at:
http://austintexas.gov/department/austin-city-council-members
To send to all City Council members, go to: http://www.austintexas.gov/mail/all-council-members
One good solution is to build a raised bed, and
then build a wall of strawbales, hay, etc, AROUND that
raised bed. So then you have the benefits of both a raised
bed (good drainage, ability to control soil quality) and a
sunken bed (improved moisture-retention and wind
protection).
We did this in New Mexico where it was extremely dry and
windy. We made the wall 6" to a foot higher than the
raised bed. ("We" being students of a residential
permaculture program that lasted a few months, that is
unfortunately no longer in existence.)
jenny
--- In austi...@yahoogroups.com,
Wendy Leiva <wendy.p.leiva@...> wrote:
>
> Jason -- If you happen to live in some of the few areas
of Central Texas
> that aren't on limestone or clay, sunken beds can
be great. But most people
> in this area have such little luck trying to dig down
that it's best to
> build up.
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To find out about Permaculture Design Certificate courses and related courses/events, visit www.austinperm.com
To find out about Permaculture Design Certificate courses and related courses/events, visit www.austinperm.com
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