World News – US – Bakersfield City Council votes to allow backyard hens to most owners

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Urban hens are now allowed in most Bakersfield backyards after a city council vote on Wednesday

In a 4 to 3 vote, with board members Willie Rivera, Andrae Gonzales, Bob Smith and Jacquie Sullivan in favor, the board gave the green light for up to 12 hens to be raised by families in single-family homes

The board chose to allow a reduced number of hens on each property based on lot size, approving an ordinance that goes as low as four hens on properties where the co-op is 10 feet from a building off-site residential Individuals wishing to raise a maximum of 12 chickens will need a property that can accommodate a chicken coop within 9 meters of an off-site residence

Several provisions of the ordinance attempted to address potential complaints that may come from neighbors owning chickens Loud roosters are still illegal under the ordinance, while females are allowed The ordinance also states that henhouses must be kept clean and odorless, but chickens will be able to roam backyards during the day

The ordinance affected almost every homeowner in Bakersfield Previously the town only allowed chickens to be kept in the town, mostly on plots of land zoned for agriculture The new ordinance extended households allowed to have chickens to zones R-1, or to almost all single-family residences in the city

The Development Services Department estimated that at least 83,335 plots in the city would be allowed to have urban chickens under the new ordinance

Initially a strong wave of supporters urged the council to allow hens in local backyards However, at Wednesday’s meeting, a large group spoke out against urban hens

â ???? We need to think of our whole community, not someone who has a personal need and a personal opinion that a chicken in their backyard will improve their lifestyle, â € “ said Gary Simmons

The Bakersfield Estate Agents Association opposed the orders, saying the process had not been sufficiently discussed and evaluated by the public

– The domino consequences and unintended cumulative implications of these sweeping ordinances are far-reaching, and we don’t think all possibilities have been fully and correctly verified, â € “ Association President Ronda Newport wrote in a letter to Council â € “ There must be clearer lot size restrictions, clear setbacks and clear boundaries to protect the integrity and safety of our neighborhoodsâ € ”

Despite the recent resurgence of opposition, many townspeople spoke out in favor of urban chickens at the meeting

â ???? Support for backyard hens is everywhere in our community, â € “ said MT Merickel, who runs a website advocating the legalization of chicken, «  Allowing backyard hens is going top-down in California and in our nation, even in our current situation, because backyard hens are safeâ ????

As the meeting progressed, a long list of speakers came out in favor of backyard hens, with many simply saying that they attended the meeting to show their support while also promoting the benefits of backyard hens. property as food independence and companionship

Councilor Smith has always been in favor of the hen ordinance since it was presented to council several months ago, and he continued his support on Wednesday

– I think we are a family community and it’s a great family activity, â ???? he said during the meeting Responding to complaints that the residents of Bakersfield do not abide by the rules set out in the ordinance, he continued: « I don’t like the idea of ​​building a society around irresponsible people We are a free society and I believe in building a society around responsible citizens and freedom « 

It might shock many Bakersfield residents, but City Council is about to allow the vast majority of homeowners to…

Bakersfield City Council, Chicken, CA, Jacquie Sullivan