HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 06Lakeville
Memorandum
To: Honorable Mayor and City Council
From: Frank Dempsey, AICP, Associate Planner
PU
Date: February 18, 2014
City of Lakeville
Planning Department
Subject: Work Session Discussion Regarding the keeping of Chickens in Residential Zoning
Districts
Over the past several years, Planning Department staff has received numerous inquiries
from the public to allow the keeping of chickens, specifically laying hens, and other farm
animals in single family residential zoning districts. The Zoning Ordinance defines
chickens as farm animals which are allowed only on farm properties in the AP, Agricultural
Preserve District, RA, Rural Agricultural District or the RAO, Rural Agricultural Overlay
District. The Planning Commission discussed this issue as part of their overall Zoning and
Subdivision Ordinance amendment process in 2011/2012. At that time, the Planning
Commission decided to not consider an amendment to the Zoning Ordinance regulations
concerning the keeping of farm animals.
Whether it is a theory of local sustainable agriculture or a desire to raise hens as pets, there
has been an increase in the number of people expressing interest in keeping some farm
animals on their single family home properties. Many cities have seen increased interest
from the public in allowing some farm animals, including chickens, bees, goats, and other
poultry for pets or as a means of producing food on single family residential lots. This
trend has contributed to the increase in local farmer's markets, community gardens, home
vegetable gardens and raising chickens for eggs. Most requests are for four to six hens or a
small number of bee hives. Discussion regarding the keeping of chickens should also
include discussion as to the keeping of bees, other small farm animals and the production
of food products for sale from the premises.
Any change to the Zoning Ordinance to allow the keeping of chickens or other farm
animals should include regulations to prevent nuisances, protect the health and well being
of the animals, and minimize any potential negative impact to nearby properties. The
Minnesota Department of Health does not consider back yard chicken flocks to be a health
risk provided that the chickens are raised in a clean, isolated and well maintained
environment.
Research that was conducted of nine cities in the Twin Cities metropolitan area that are
adjacent to or similar in character to Lakeville in regard to population and growth
characteristics shows there are a variety of rules and regulations pertaining to the keeping
of chickens in residential areas. Of the nine cities studied, three do not allow the keeping
of chickens outside of rural residential or farm properties. Burnsville, Farmington and
Eagan allow chickens in residential areas subject to minimum coop and run design
standards as well as requiring permits and regular inspections by city animal control
officers. None of the cities allowed the keeping of bees (apiaries) on non -farm properties.
The cities that allow chickens in residential areas allow them by interim use permit
(requiring a public hearing), by administrative permit and licensing (staff approvals) or
requiring no permit at all. Permits help ensure that persons keeping chickens submit plans
and provide confirmation that they understand the city's regulations for keeping the
animals. Regulations that other cities utilize include a maximum on the number of
chickens that can be kept, minimum design standards for sanitation, coop construction
standards, maximum coop height and minimum setback for the coop and run,
confinement, and restrictions on produce sales. Enforcement in other cities is typically
conducted by animal control or zoning enforcement personnel or on a complaint only
basis. Staff contacted four of the cities on the table that allow the keeping of chickens.
None of those cities have issued more than a small number of permits since amending
their ordinance to allow chickens in residential areas. None claimed any significant
complaints by neighbors of people keeping chickens.
Exhibits
0 Comparison Table of Other Cities Regulations
0 November 17, 2011 Planning Commission Work Session Notes
0 November 2, 2010 Star Tribune Article
0 Pioneer Press Article (publication date unknown)
0 September 22, 2013 Pioneer Press Article
0 June 24, 2013 Star Tribune Article
0 January 21, 2014 Star Tribune Article
0 November 14, 2010 Parade Magazine Article
SUMMARY
Staff is requesting City Council input into the allowance of chickens or other farm animals
in residential districts.
4
ui
V
0
LU
J
d
' Q
V /
U-
0
''
Y I
A
C a_
G
0
Z
0
LU
M
V1 Y
p_
O
N
C UA C N
U
N
O O 2 E
C N
�� O
C O O
�'O f0 C ��
N L. "O CO
Q
O
O
T
QJ—
E a t ..+
t
C >-
i C 0 }
V
0 � Z
0 -C �p .-i
\
Z
L
Z
Z
C C
M fp
C
Q
>
o 0 'O 'D u co
N
O
N p
d=
o o
m a2 2 o
'Z '�
a
a
ot
o a r
Q
u
cl
Z vai0
O
CJ
CD
Z
z z
a
a
a
a
a
o c
o
v
LU
z z
z
Z
Z
Z
Z
Z
�o
a
z
ca.
O
o_
CL
a
a
a
a
a
Q
rn�
- Fu
}
Z }
N Z
Z
Z
O
Z
z
Z
U - p_
C C p
O LO
Q U
3
�
a a
a a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
z°
z z
z z
z
z
z
z
z
z
z
a
z
3
O
P
fa
O t
N Qw
M-C
6 a c i
c
f, CD Z;
n w
� � rn o
o?
o'G awi
aci
C �
in
a�
O�'cc
�E
}
} C O
}
O
Z
Z
ti
'� a_+ 7 'O
Z
N>
V
i L (p
,�,
g N
X
U 12
C_
O
0
O
N�
C
LC
vi
O Q O
( A
w
C
g
E 0
�� Z
LU
}
U ��
gko
Q OL L)
O
U
C
; u
L i C
a U)'O
f0
LCY p� 7
C
N O W O
p
+La
O
CO
1�/1 Ln Q
O
a
CY
L C N
a
N y N O
'++
O
U
}
}
N C .� N
Z
z
4 i N
z
7 a N cl
E
W
d a
O
C N O L (5 E
a ''r a)
L f �O
N CL
O_
V L d E
N
V N
C " vf
4
C p i
C
Q
U ` 7C e C
N m
^ L
O O
Ln
O O
L f 1 C ~''
w
C
C N T
w
2
0
f0 'p
E 0 - o
O
a
+6 C
O
C }
G
} Z
a�
}
O
,., L
f6 E Q O
E
Z
Z
+� a
p
N
U
O
U
'
L +�
p O O Z 0
O C
J
Z
E ru
m
CL N
C
C
c
x u
c
a
U L _ in
cot =
�ua`�
lu
�o
>'
L
a_. vi y C
N
O
y
E a
No __��
L—
�,�
o
ai 01 5 J
i 0` l40 b N
ti
L a�
W N
C C A
(n —
N
N O
Z
( n
M N
M
\ -0 N L a.a C
O
O
O
N
N O
w O
U
E
E
Q L
'7
}
}
0 C a O N
O
Z
O
ca
N
v
N CY
t0
0 u Q 0
O
O
O_
E i
Y v0i
I
C
} p
C O O t
C
m
Mm o
a p
a ¢
a
a
a
a
a
Q
Q
CL z
z z
z z
z
z
z
z
z
z
z
a
z
M
_
G
N
N
i
_
C =u
—
E O
.9
7 .0 O
�
C
iA
O
(A
pl
L.
N
0
G
C
d
O yq d d d
Y 3
O N
41 3
Z d
ci to
A 'O
,C
O
.J
C
_
�, G!
N
N1
d
i
N
O m'
ul
C O
3
k 0 O�+
C
Im
3
V C
m
G
t
w
190uCa3
= 8a$000u
N
C_
c
y � y
fm
fA
m m
Y1
0LU
Planning Commission Work Session
November 17, 2011
detrimental impact on the aesthetics of the freeway corridor and the existing retail businesses in the
Freeway Corridor District that have complied with the 30 foot maximum freestanding sign height.
The Planning Commission directed staff to work with the property owner to identify options that would
allow greater visibility of the Goodwill pylon sign to freeway motorists while working within existing
Zoning Ordinance requirements.
Potential Zonina and Subdivision Ordinance Amendments
Staff went through the list of 32 possible Zoning and Subdivision Ordinance amendments listed
in the revised planning memorandum dated November 9, 2011. The Planning Commission
commented on the following proposed amendments:
#1 — Agreed provided the number of administrative extensions for preliminary plats is
limited.
#2 — Agreed provided the City Council can refer the final plat to the Planning Commission if
it is determined there are issues that need more extensive review and discussion.
#3 — The submittal of building floor and elevation plans and a comprehensive sign plan
should apply to commercial and industrial, not residential, plats.
#6 — Specifically listing Quik Brik as a Grade A exterior building finish should be limited to
larger sized commercial buildings, should be reviewed by the Economic Development
Commission, and should be considered after the construction of WalMart is complete.
#10 — Tie the driveway paving requirement to a minimum detached accessory building size
and /or overhead garage door size (large enough to store or get a car in and out of).
#13 — Input should be obtained from the owners of homes with buffer yard berming and
landscaping, not just residential developers. Consider "saddle berms" as an option.
#18 — Tie the animal feedlot regulations to the one horse per acre requirement.
#22 — Input must be obtained from the Fire Marshal prior to amending the ordinance
concerning propane tank exchanges. Not in favor of amending the ordinance to
allow unattended clothing donation boxes.
#25 — Concerns were raised about allowing doggie day care in multktenant commercial and
industrial buildings.
#28 — Not in favor of allow chickens on urban residential lots. Willing to host a work session
to listen to the arguments of the urban chicken advocates. The issue should also be
reviewed by the City Council at a work session.
#29 — Supports that City staff continue working with Dakota County to gain allowance of the
MN Logos trailblazer signs in County right -of -way.
#30 — Any increase in freestanding and wall sign allowances in the O -R District should be
tied to the size of the building and the use of the property.
#31 — Supported allowing multiple wall signs for each tenant of a multi- tenant industrial
building provided the total wall sign area is limited to 15% of the building fagade for
each tenant space, similar to previous wall sign regulations for commercial and
industrial buildings.
#32 — Consideration should be given to restricting the hours of operation for manufacturing
uses, if they are going to be allowed back in the OP District, especially adjacent to
residential uses.
Pq
Fomiat Dynamics :: CleanPrint :: http: / /www.startrib local / west /I06572198.htm 1 ?eli= KArks:D...
ff 77
Sta-Mi-bunexom
Bloomington City Council settles
chicken flap
Hens can stay - as long as owners
keep them 50 feet from property
lines. Fowl fans had hoped for 30
feet.
By MARY JANE $METANKA Star Tribune
Last update. November 2, 2010 - 10:35 PM
Bloomington's long- running chicken debate
ended with a dispirited squawk for chicken
lovers when the City Council. on Monday
approved an ordinance change that allows
about 21. percent of the properties in the city
to keep hens.
Set on. making sure that neighbors are not
bothered if the people next -door decide to
keep hens, the council decided that chicken
coops should be at least 50 feet from
residential property lines. Council Member
Amy Grady proposed the setback, which is
half what it was in old rules that date frOnl
the 1950s.
"1 have no problem with having chickens on
lots as long as they don't bother the
neighbors," Grady said.
People who want to keep chickens have been
vocal, starting a Facebook page to support
Bloomington hens in advocating for a 30-
foot lot setback. Opponents have been just
as active in letting council members know
what they think, Grady said.
"We have to balance those who want their
with those who don't want them," she said.
Council Member Karen Nordstrom said she
saw allowing hens as part of the local food
movement and "another step to making
Bloomington a little better place to live." But
Mayor Gene Winstead and council Member
Vem Wilcox said they were not comfortable
with having fann animals in a suburb.
Cou.nciI Member Steve Peterson said lie
considered. the 50 -foot rule a good way to
see how chickens work out. He assured
chicken supporters in the audience that if no
problems develop, perhaps the rule could be
loosened in the future.
Bloomington resident Jeanie Mellem. who
became the public face of chicken advocates
when she was cited last springy for illegally
keeping four liens in her backyard, said
Tuesday that the decision was "silly." The
new rule is so restrictive that few people will
be able to keep hens, she said. A 30 -foot
Advertisement
Print Powered By J I ` c r ' `�" ::Dynamics
Page 1 of 2
httn: / /www.-,tart.Tibune. com /t.emnla.tes /fdcn ?l 288806782976 I t/:i/20l0
Format Dynamics :: CleanPrint :: http: / /www.startribune.com/ local / west /106572198.htm1 ?elr= KArks:D... Page 2 of 2
StarTri b u nt COM
setback. would have allowed 96 percent of
the residential properties in the city to have
hens.
"It just doesn't make any sense to me at all,"
Mellem said.
She said she is not sure if she will be able to
keep her chickens, and had contacted the
city to see how measurements in her
irregular lot would work. While she said she
is confident she can find good homes for the
hens if they need to go, she said she also is
considering moving to another property that
would be big enough to keep the hens she
calls "the ladies."
Mary Jane Smetaztka • 612- 673 -7380
Shortcuts To Links In Article
1. http: / /ezuri.c-o /4b4i
Advertisement
Print Powered By Wti t -, r' C r1c F tiGS r.
httn• /Axrxxnxi atartriHnnP rnm /tPmnlatac /fr1rn917RRRO67R` OU 1 1 A /1)()IA
Twin Cities: Backyard chickens welcome, Watchdog says, as long as owners follow rules ... Page 1 of 2
Twin Cities: Backyard chickens welcome, Watchdog says, as long as
owners follow rules
By Debra O'Connor watchdog @pioneerpress.com TwinCities.com- Pioneer Press
Posted. TwinCities.com
A reader recently squawked to the Pioneer Press after noticing chickens in the back yard of a St. Paul
home.
"Very cute," the writer said. "But is this legal ?" The Watchdog saw the post on SeeClickFix, an online
feature on TwinCities.com that lets users alert their communities about quality -of -life issues. The
Watchdog investigated to See whether a Chicks Fix was needed in the Macalester- Groveland
neighborhood.
As it turns out, the chickens are owned by the DuBois family, and the city of St. Paul confirmed the birds
are legal. Homeowners Jacques and Katie DuBois followed the city ordinance when they first got
chickens two years ago: They filed the paperwork, paid the fee, housed the chickens in an acceptable
coop and secured the agreement of at least 75 percent of the neighbors living within 150 feet of their
home.
Jacques DuBois told the Watchdog that two of 10 neighbors did decline, with one claiming, "People in
(ZIP code) 55105 don't want to have chickens there," while another said she didn't like the idea of having
"livestock" around, DuBois said. But, he noted, that neighbor now brings her grandchildren over to
observe Mario, Luigi and Oreo scratch and cluck.
Across the nation, backyard chickens -- part of what's called "urban farming" -- are all the rage. In St.
Paul, the population is exploding, said animal - control supervisor Bill Stephenson.
"A lot of people like them as pets, and the eggs are a benefit," he said
In St. Paul, there's been a permit process in place for more than 20 years, but the city used to see only
three or four requests per year from people wanting to set up backyard coops. Now, it can be that many
per week. One animal - control employee works two days a week checking the living conditions and
sanitation of chickens, beehives and other less- common animals kept in the city, Stephenson said.
Some other metro -area cities allowing chickens in a regular -sized back yard are Minneapolis, Anoka,
Burnsville, Farmington, Hastings, Rosemount, Roseville, West St. Paul and Maplewood. Some
communities that don't allow them include Apple Valley, Eagan, Stillwater, Woodbury, Inver Grove
Heights and, thus far, Cottage Grove. That's according to a survey done by the city earlier this year, when
resident Rykna Olson, who grew up on a farm, asked that Cottage Grove consider allowing chickens. As
she said in an email to the city, "I miss some of the amenities that a farm provides, especially fresh eggs."
The Watchdog did some research herself and found some ordinances to be fussier than others: Ham
Lake, for example, requires the color of the coop to blend with that of the house. Bayport's extensive
regulations note that chickens can't be kept in the house. Several cities that are still largely rural require
lots to be 3 or more acres. The upscale community of North Oaks, which used to be railroad magnate
James J. Hill's farm, doesn't allow the birds at all.
Most cities that allow chickens require a permit, charge a fee and check on the chickens' welfare
regularly. Ordinances describe an acceptable coop's configuration, along with its placement on the
property.
Most ordinances recognize some neighbors may not be enthusiastic about living near a miniature farm.
Most don't allow roosters because they're noisy and can be aggressive. In East Bethel, which doesn't bar
roosters, spokeswoman Stephanie Hanson notes: "We have no complaints on chickens; however, we
have numerous complaints on roosters." Most require some or all of the neighbors to sign off on the idea.
http:// www.twincities.comlci_208145981 watchdog- backyard- chickens - welcome- some - met... 1/22/2014
Twin Cities: Backyard chickens welcome, Watchdog says, as long as owners follow rules ... Page 2 of 2
In Maplewood, which adopted an ordinance last year, the owner of every property adjacent to the
applicant's must agree, or the applicant has to prove his property lines are at least 150 feet from anyone's
house.
And most cities limit the number of chickens to three or four -- but not Minneapolis, where there's no
official limit if a resident can convince 80 percent of the neighbors to sign off on the number and the city
agrees they're properly kept. Minneapolis also allows roosters, but that has to be disclosed to neighbors
and their signatures must be notarized.
Minneapolis, which has allowed backyard fowl as far back as anyone in animal control can remember,
now has a population of about 1,500 chickens, with an average of six to eight birds per household,
according to permit coordinator Ann Thelen. Growth is still booming, with six to 10 application requests
per week.
"Hens are wildfire this year," Thelen said.
And beehives, another part of the urban - farming movement, are gaining momentum. "They're coming in
droves, too," Thelen said.
On Tuesday, June 5, a Stillwater family who had been cited for illegally keeping chickens appeared
before the city council to ask members to consider making chickens legal. The council agreed, 3 -2, to
look into the matter, and will charge the standard $500 to have the city research a resident's request.
"There's enough illegal chickens out there that they're having a fundraiser to change the ordinance," said
Mayor Ken Harycki. "They're pretty passionate about it. Apparently, there's a groundswell going on."
Both Jacques and Katie DuBois grew up living in apartments, so having hens and a backyard garden at
their St. Paul house is a way to experience something new and promote their children's health, Jacques
DuBois said. The children, ages 9, 5 and 3, see the chickens as pets and will casually pick them up and
carry them around. The family boxer and poodle mingle with the hens wandering in the yard.
The family keeps different varieties, including the Ameraucana, nicknamed the "Easter Egger" because it
lays blue -, green- and pink- tinted eggs. The hens are "dual- purpose," fit for both eggs and meat. They
give enough eggs to satisfy the family's need and when, after three years or so, their laying days are
done, there are companies that will process poultry for stew. The DuBoises' hens have the run of their
fenced -in yard, but most have been able to flap over their 3- foot -high fence; they've lost one to a
neighbor's dog and one to a hawk.
And once, the family accidentally got a rooster from their chick supplier. Since noise and aggression
make roosters illegal in St. Paul, they couldn't keep him.
So they ate him.
Editor's note: Feel like an underdog because of a problem with a business, government agency or
school? To ask the Watchdog for help, go to TwinCities.com/ watchdog, call 651 - 228 -5419 or email
watchdog @pioneerpress.com. Follow her at twitter.com/ pioneerwatchdog.
http : / /www.twincities.comlci_208145 98/ watchdog- backyard- chickens - welcome- some - met... 1/22/2014
New Brighton backyard farm sows seeds of discord - TwinCities.com Pagel of 4
New Brighton backyard farm sows seeds of discord
By Sarah Homer shorner@pioneerpress.com Twin Cities.com- Pioneer Press `I C) -/
Posted: TwinCities.com
From the front, nothing about the house in suburban New Brighton appears that different.
A car sits in the driveway near a flower bed of towering magenta amaranth plants. A small
pirate flag waves from atop a picnic table, a nod to the "Peter Pan " - inspired name the
women who live here gave the half -acre property when they moved in seven years ago.
Behind the one -story house, however, is a different scene.
There, you see sprawling vegetable gardens, berry plants, bee hives and lots of fowl. A large
coop extends from the back deck and houses about 15 laying hens, a dozen quail, a few
heritage turkeys, a couple ducks and one Serama rooster. A basket brimming with
vegetables sits on a table near a garden bed. Next to it is a bowl full of multicolored eggs.
The collection represents a day's harvest at "Lost Boys Acre," an experimental urban farm
operated by four women in the quiet residential neighborhood near Silver Lake Road and
Interstate 694.
What you don't see is the tension with their next -door neighbors, a couple in their 70s who
have lived in their house for nearly 30 years, allegations of dishonesty and bullying traded
between the two households.
The dispute has spilled into New Brighton City Hall with complaints issued to staff and
police. Kristie Kellis, 38, the registered owner of the house at 715 Forest Dale Road, said
she has contacted the Minnesota Department of Human Rights as well. State officials,
however, cannot confirm active complaints.
While the city hasn't tracked the cost of the complaints in terms of staff hours, it has taken up
substantial resources.
Next -door neighbors Bob and Gerry Parrott say the women's farming is out of control and
highly disruptive.
Kellis says the Parrotts are unreasonable and that her property is well maintained.
Furthermore, she says it's within her legal rights as a New Brighton resident to operate an
urban farm.
Although New Brighton has a nuisance ordinance, the city has no specific rules regulating
the keeping and raising of fowl or other practices associated with farming within its city limits.
Some 60 residents are said to be engaged in the practice to varying degrees.
Prompted by the conflict -- now in its second year -- the city recently assembled a task force
to study how other communities have tackled urban farming, an increasingly popular
http:// www. twincities.comlramseyeounty /ci_ 24153388 /new - brighton- suburban- backyard -E.. 2/19/2014
New Brighton backyard farm sows seeds of discord - TwinCities.com
Page 2 of 4
practice in Minnesota and elsewhere. The committee is expected to make recommendations
to the city council next spring.
"We are not looking for this thing to spread," New Brighton Mayor Dave Jacobsen said of the
Forest Dale Road conflict. "We hope the task force can clarify what is reasonable for urban
farming before this issue turns our city into a battleground."
IN CONFLICT
On a recent tour of Lost Boys Acre, Kellis points out vegetables growing in one of the many
backyard gardens.
Most of them are planted in raised beds, but this year the women also planted in straw bales
to honor the "experimental" part of their mission. The decision to raise quail was prompted
by the same desire, Kellis said.
"We experiment with what can be done in a suburban environment so we can educate other
people about what works," Kellis said. She added that it's increasingly important for people
to rethink how they get their food.
The food they produce feeds Kellis and her three housemates as well as five other families
who volunteer at Lost Boys Acre, she said. Additional food is shared with neighbors and
friends.
No money exchanges hands, Kellis said, adding that three of the women in the house have
full -time jobs.
Lost Boys Acre started raising birds about two years ago. Kellis describes the animals as
relatively quiet and says odor is regulated through the use of a "deep litter" composting
method.
Bob Parrott disagrees.
"We can't really enjoy our back yard anymore; it just depends which way the wind is
blowing," Parrott said. "And then there's the noise. Have you ever heard a chicken laying an
egg? It's like a woman in labor, and they have about 20 laying hens."
The Parrotts also cite concerns about runoff into a pond behind their house, as well as
unsightliness from the way the women maintain the property.
Complaints to the city started about the time the birds arrived. Although staff can't disclose
the names of complainants, 11 reports are on file related to Lost Boys Acre, according to
information provided by New Brighton City Manager Dean Lotter.
Some six reports have been filed with police.
Only once were the women found to be in violation of city code, when a vehicle was parked
on an unapproved surface, according to city records.
http: / /www.twincitie s. comlramseyeounty /ci_ 24153 3 8 8 /new - brighton- suburban- backyard -f... 2/19/2014
New Brighton backyard farm sows seeds of discord - TwinCities.com Page 3 of 4
"Part of the problem here is perspective," Jacobsen said. "City staff don't have a calibrated
nose to tell what the degree of odor is or how noisy it is at all hours.... There's a lot of gray
area here."
OTHER ISSUES?
To Kellis, the lack of violations is proof the Parrotts' beef with her and her housemates goes
deeper. She suspects the couple's real issue is their non - nuclear family and religious beliefs.
Two of the women practice paganism. Kellis says she follows "Earth -based spirituality."
Kellis points to a time when Gerry Parrott called police claiming a garden statue on the Lost
Boys Acre property was an attempt by the women to "point demons at her," Kellis said.
"They won't give us one specific thing we can do differently.... I can negotiate with a specific
problem, but they won't give me one," Kellis said. "They just hate us."
While acknowledging his wife's comment showed "ignorance," Bob Parrott said allegations
of bias are attempts to distract from the real issue.
"We're talking about backyard farming and what is reasonable for a residential area," Parrott
said. "We're not opposed to it altogether, but to have 20 laying hens, a rooster, plus ducks,
quail and turkeys seems way beyond what one household needs. They're basically running
a large poultry business."
A mediation attempt between the neighbors last winter was unsuccessful. Each side claims
the majority of other residents in the neighborhood support them.
Other neighbors surveyed by the Pioneer Press were split.
"They have a lot going on there, but it seems clean and well cared for," said Chuck Hoffman,
who lives down the street. "They're raising healthy food, which is hard to get at grocery
stores these days."
"It's easy to be OK with it if you don't live next door," said Nancy Nygaard, another
neighborhood resident. "I wouldn't want them as my neighbor. They've got too many things
going on that don't belong in this area."
The women's other next -door neighbor couldn't be reached for comment.
ELSEWHERE
The city does not expect the task force to solve the dispute, Lotter said.
"If the council passes no ordinance and chooses not to regulate anything, the conflict will
continue. If the council adopts something very draconian ... the conflict will continue. There
is no way to legislate an answer for people who don't want to get along," the city manager
said.
http:// www. twincities.com/ramseycounty /ci_ 241533 88 /new - brighton- suburban- backyard -f... 2/19/2014
New Brighton backyard farm sows seeds of discord - TwinCities.com Page 4 of 4
Instead, the hope is the task force will help head off future problems with what is seen as a
growing trend in urban communities, Lotter said.
Members will spend the winter studying the issue with hopes of making recommendations to
the city council in the spring.
Cities across the metro area have approached the subject differently.
Some -- Blaine, White Bear Lake and Coon Rapids -- ban keeping chickens. Shoreview
allows up to four birds on properties smaller than 2 acres. Maplewood permits 10 with a
permit as long as 100 percent of neighbors are on board. St. Paul requires 75 percent of
neighbors sign off, though it places no cap on the number of chickens allowed. Minneapolis
also regulates raising chickens.
It's possible New Brighton will keep urban farming unrestricted, said Char Samuelson, a city
council member.
"Who knows? We need to study it and see what our residents want," Samuelson said.
Other council members did not respond to calls for comment.
Neither the Parrotts nor the women from Lost Boys Acre were allowed on the task force, a
decision Kellis said shows bias on the city's part.
Both sides will watch what happens closely.
"A part of me is excited because this could allow for a really progressive conversation about
food policy that could make New Brighton a leader," Kellis said. "But it worries me that the
council's goal is regulation and they want to specifically target chickens."
Bob Parrott said he hopes restrictions are coming; otherwise, he says he and his wife will
move.
"We're both 70 years old. How many years do we have left and what kind of enjoyment are
we getting out of a place if we continuously have the issue of noise and the occasional
smell ?" he said.
Lost Boys Acre will be around regardless of the outcome, Kellis said.
"If every time someone tried to do something new ... they just walked away when it got hard,
we would never have change," Kellis said. "Someone has to stand up to bullies."
"I'd say we're the ones being bullied," Bob Parrott said.
Sarah Horner can be reached at 651- 228 -5539. Follow her at twitter.com /hornsarah.
http:// www. twincities.comlramseycounty /ci_ 241533 88 /new- brighton- suburban - backyard -f... 2/19/2014
Mielke, Steven
From: smielke @charter.net
Sent: Monday, June 24, 2013 7:32 AM
To: Mielke, Steven
Subject: SM sent you an article from www.startribune.com
Charles Reinhardt admits he got busted for it about five years ago.
He'd kept it under wraps for years right under his neighbors' noses. Then he slipped up and shared his secret
with some neighborhood kids. Within days, it had flown the coop.
"I had chickens. I let the neighbor kids come over and give them some corn and someone turned me in to the
city," Reinhardt said.
Initially, he was irked at the warning letter from Centerville City Hall. He complied and got rid of his chickens.
Then he decided to challenge the system.
It took several years but he finally persuaded the Centerville City Council to pass an ordinance allowing
chickens. He's the first resident in the northern Anoka County suburb to apply for a two -year permit, at a cost of
.$75. He's already brought home four young hens to roost, the maximum allowed. He hopes to have fresh eggs
within a few weeks.
"I am a rebel. I will push things," Reinhardt says, a little tongue in cheek. "Actually, I kind of worried people
would laugh at me and think I am weird. But I thought: I am 44 years old. I don't care what people think. You
only live once. There is no reason I should have to move to have something as simple as that."
Call it the rise of the suburban farmer. Urban farming has grown in popularity during the past decade as more
health - conscious people clamor for locally grown and organic food options. Both Minneapolis and St. Paul
allow back -yard chickens with permitting and other conditions.
Now, some suburban city councils are following suit, but with provisions designed to protect neighbors from
unwelcome noise and nuisance. Circle Pines and Centerville enacted ordinances that take effect this month
allowing up to four hens — no roosters permitted. The city of Farmington in the south metro has also enacted a
chicken ordinance this spring, allowing up to three hens at homes with certain zoning designations. Eagan also
has started allowing chickens.
But not every city council has fallen for the charms of the chicken.
:Blaine and Coon Rapids do not allow them on standard residential lots, according to their city clerks. Both city
councils have discussed changing that in recent years but took no action.
Audrey Matson, owner of Eggplant Urban Farm Supply, said the suburbs can actually be more skittish than big
cities when it comes to allowing back -yard coops.
"The suburbs are less likely to allow it even though they have more space," Matson said. "There's just concern
there's going to be problems with smelly, badly -made coops and eyesores."
Matson, who has spoken to city councils on behalf of wannabe chicken owners, says a little education helps
local leaders understand that back -yard chicken farming can be quiet, neat and unobtrusive to neighbors.
Matson said she's definitely seeing more suburban customers asking about chickens.
Even then, it's still a rare breed of suburban homeowner who takes the leap, one city manager says.
"We don't expect there will be a lot of applications for this," said Cen.terville's Dallas Larson. "If we get two or
three applications in the course of a year, that may be about right. There is a lot of work that goes with [chicken
farming]. There are a few people in that organic gardening group that will find it appealing."
Rise of the Suburban Farmer: some Minneapolis /St Paul suburbs start to allow backyard chicken coops
Shannon Prather, Star Tribune
And there are hoops to jump through.
Circle Pines' new ordinance requires that 70 percent of neighbors grant permission before a $75 two -year
permit is issued. It also requires a 10,400- square -foot minimum lot size and an enclosed coop or run.
"The council wanted their neighbors to have some say," said City Administrator Jim Keinath.
Farmington limits chickens to larger residential properties zoned R -1. The Farmington Planning and Zoning
Commission must approve applications. The commission heard its first request last week.
"I don't expect it will go gangbusters," said assistant city planner Tony Wippler. "There is a select group of
people who raise chickens and I don't think it's widespread. I do know more and more communities are doing
these things."
Reinhardt said he decided he wanted chickens after seeing them in friends' back yards.
"I kind of like them. They made me feel relaxed," said the disabled army veteran.
He said he's looking forward to the homegrown eggs. He's embraced the homegrown food movement and feels
the less chemicals and pesticides, the better.
He anticipates his hens will lay about two dozen eggs a week. He uses the manure to fertilize his large vegetable
garden.
His four hens, which he bought as chicks, are four different breeds — a gold star, silver laced wine dot,
Americana, and Rhode Island red.
"I don't have names for them, but I know their personalities. I know how they act. "
Shannon Prather - 612 - 673 -4844
StarTribune - Print Page
More Twin Cities suburbs are growing
sweet on bees
Article by: Kelly Smith
Star Tribune
January 21, 2014 - 7:49 AM
More bees are moving to the'burbs
As buzz builds over the popular hobby and the dramatic worldwide
die-off of bees, more than two dozen metro-area cities. including
Minnetonka, Bloomington and Stillwater, are allowing back -yard
beekeeping.
On Tuesday, Eden Prairie is expected to be the latest city to
approve it. And in Chanhassen, beekeeping classes are filling up,
like one next month that's sold out to nearly 200 people interested
in starting the hobby.
"The number of people doing it now is surprising," said Gary
Reuter, who helps teach classes at the Minnesota Landscape
Arboretum and run the University of Minnesota's Bee Lab "People
want to do their part to help [bees], and some of it is the back -to-
nature thinking."
Scientists say a worldwide phenomenon known as colony collapse
disorder is affecting bees, which are dying at a rate of 35 percent a
year. That news, along with the movement to produce food locally,
has increased interest in beekeeping.
Minneapolis and St. Paul were among the first cities here to allow
d. Now rooftops from Minneapolis City Hall to downtown hotels
host hives.
The trend has spread to suourbs but demand so far has been
moderate. Stillwater has issued six permits for residential beekeep-
ing since allowing it about a year ago; no complaints have come
up. In the north metro, Circle Pines started allowing residential
beekeeping last July, but has had no applications yeL And SL Paul
Park has issued one permit since passing a beekeeping ordinance
almost a year ago.
Other suburbs either don't have a specific ordinance on
beekeeping, outwardly prohibit it or restrict hives to rural proper-
ties.
Carrying on a tradition
=d i EE JONES SCHNEIDER - StarTnbune I w
Bees come and go [row, a tree We in West Bath, Maine,
Pat Welienb -li • Associated Press,
That's the case in Eden Prairie, which currently limits beekeeping to rural areas. Resident Chris Endres lobbied for an
ordinance change.
His grandfather and father passed on the beekeeping hobby to him, and now he's sharing it with his 17-year-old daughter
both entering homemade honey in State Fair contests But since he hasn't been allowed to keep the fives in his
neighborhood, has housed them at his cabin and at a friend's house in neighboring Minnetonka.
"It's kind of like being a wine connoisseur; said Endres, who has tasting parties to show off his Minnetonka -made honey.
The proposed city ordinance to be discussed Tuesday has specific limitations, such as the colony size, and beekeepers have
to register with police so neighbors can be notified. Jim Schedin, the city's zoning administrator, estimates a half -dozen
residents will end up registering with the city.
"I've seen an uptick in interest,' he said. "We have bees to our east and bees to our north.... They're really everywhere.
Mixed reaction
Not everyone is supportive though
The sticking point for most people. bee swarms bothering neighbors or affecting residents with allergies. Some cities,
including Edina, prohibit beekeeping. In Eden Prairie, Council Member Kathy Nelson was the lone opponent, saying that the
hobby shouldn't negatively impact residents who have bee allergies, such as her daughter.
"I don't see the overwhelming need to have a change, and it could have an extreme consequence for some families in town,"
she said. "It doesn't seem like something your next-door neighbor in a suburb would do. I would never have purchased a
home if I knew bees were next door."
Proponents like Endres say they understand concerns, but said that honeybees are often mistaken for hornets, wasps and
yellow jackets, which are more likely to sting. He said he hopes allowing beekeeping will increase knowledge about
honeybees and help show their benefits.
"It really brings a lot of public awareness and sensitivity," he said "I just don't think it's a problem.
Kelly Smith • 612-673 -4141 Twitter: @@ikellystrib
Page 1 of 2
http:// www. startribune .com/printarticle /' ?id= 241221411 1/22/2014
Buereq,ing is gaining In popularity in respon: ,- I., rilany
reports
Not all cries allow beekeeping Some resldenls are concerned
about swarms or allergic reactions to bee stings
CARLOS GONZALEZ • Star Tribune file.
......... ...... .. ...... ................. ......... .. .............. ... ...- ..... ....... ........... .... 3a,ckyawl Chi
Cheep Chic
Itt Sri.hwiia.r3, backyards
a .cro.s-S Avwr'ica, chickens
are cnnning home to rroost
by Joamic Kat.yiman
— `i I32AB1." RLAMPERT'S
Y daughter, Siena,
wanted a horse. "But
that would have been
expensive," says Lampert, the
owner of a public - relations agency
just outside San Francisco. Instead
she went to a local hay - and -teed
store and bought the 10- year -old
a pair of chickens, "Then Siena
thought they were getting lonely,
so we got three more." Lampert
hays her daughter $2 a day to
feed them, herd them back into
their coop every night, and
collect their eggs, generally
two or three a day.
"The eggs are amazing,"
Lampert says_ "They taste
rich and creamy. The
yolk —it's very orange. Siena
used to ask for cereal for
breakfast. Now she wants a
veggie omelet."
`k4j daughter used to
askfor° cereal for hr°ea4fixst.
Now she wants a veggie omelet,'
Lampert is among the
thousands who have muddied the
line r_)f demarcation between
urban and rural America over the
last fern years, who've brought the
S • November 14, 20 0
cluck, cluck here and the cluck,
cluck there of Old MacDonald's
farm to their urban and suburban
backyards. Municipalities like
Detroit, perhaps concerned about
the possibilirf of noise, fowl
odors, and abandoned chickens,
prohibit them. Others, including
Spokane, have significant
restrictions on coop construction.
But a long .list of cities-- including
Seattle, Chicago, New YorL and
Portland, Ore. —are perfectly fine
about being home for the (free)
range, at least for hens.
"Many people want to become
more self sufficient,"
observes Rob
Hen party:
Besides laying
eggs, chickens
eat bugs and
weeds —
and provide
fertilizer.
0 p M a
Ludlow, founder of the
community website
BackYard6hickeris.corn. `I Ia - ,ing
a handful of egg - laying hems in a
relatively small yard allows people
to participate in the grove -local
movement without having to
move." Ludlow has no precise
figures on the number of
backyard - chicken owners in the
US., but when he created his
website three years ago it had only
50 members; now, lie says, there
are more than 70,000.
According to Ludlow, "There's
a growing awareness of how firn
and easy it is to raise backyard
chickens, plus a growing
realization that chickens are a
multi- purix)se pet, They eat the
bugs and weeds in your yard, and
they generate fantastic fertilizer."
Of course, they also provide your
breakfast. But generally not your
dinner. "I would never eat one of
my chickens," Lampert says.
Tonya Langford Moyle and her
husband, "Thatcher, of Portland,
Ore., have half a dozen chickens,
including a Rhode Island Red, a
Dominique, and a Brahma, whose
peak egg layirig� capacity is six a
day. "It makes us feel closer to the
earth. And we thought it would
be nice for our daughter, ".says
Tonga, the vice president of a
Web - design company, referring; to
- year -old Una. I"natcher, a
financial planner, went so far as to
buy some architectural plans off
the Internet and build a
contemporary - looking coop with
a clear roof. And his is hardly the
only high -stele henhouse in town;
Portland even holds an annual
"Tour de Coops."
Visit us at PARADE.COM
0
0
0
ii.
r