Thanks to Rod Howe - and Jon Kanter - for this helpful information! If anyone feels like making chicken headwear for the Earth Day parades (IthCommons sat apr 25, farmers mkt sunday apr 26), we have cardboard boxes just for this purpose ready for the three pre-parade sunday afternoon workshops - March 29, April 5, April 19, Center Ithaca - everyone welcome!
The chicken headwear idea comes from the GrassRoots Happiness Parade, to which someone has brought a wonderful example these past few years: yellow-painted box cut to sit on the shoulders with chicken head attached to the top. But of course ... chickens come in all kinds of gorgeous colors! Patricia LEVEL GREEN - fostering sustainable community through collaborative initiatives in hospitality, education and the arts, in the 150 year-old democratic spirit of the Danish Folk School. 1519 Slaterville Road, Ithaca, NY 14850 (607) 339-9472 --- On Fri, 3/27/09, Rod Howe <[email protected]> wrote: > From: Rod Howe <[email protected]> > Subject: local chickens > To: [email protected] > Date: Friday, March 27, 2009, 10:33 AM > Mike, Kristie, Rod, and Interested Residents: > > In looking quickly at our existing Zoning Code, it appears > that the keeping > of domestic animals in accessory buildings (which includes > chickens as per > the definitions section - 270-5 of the Town of Ithaca Code) > is permitted in > the MDR (Medium Density Residential) Zone upon receipt of > special approval > from the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA), provided that the > lot is at least 2 > acres in size, that no accessory building housing domestic > animals is closer > than 30 feet to any lot line, and that there shall be no > raising of > fur-bearing animals, or kennels for more than three dogs > over six months > old. > > In a LDR (Low Density Residential) Zone, the keeping of > domestic animals in > accessory buildings is allowed by right, regardless of the > size of the lot, > provided that no such accessory building shall be located > closer than 30 > feet to any lot line and that there shall be no raising of > fur-bearing > animals, nor shall there be kennels for more than three > dogs over six months > old. > > So, the raising and keeping of chickens (and other animals > classified as > "domestic" - see definition) is allowed in both > the MDR (by special > approval) and the LDR (by right) Zones, subject to the > above limitations. I > think that there were legitimate reasons for requiring the > larger lot size > in the MDR Zone to keep domestic animals because MDR > typically includes more > established residential neighborhoods, and there is more > potential for > greater impact on adjacent or nearby properties if chickens > are raised in > the MDR Zone. So, the raising of chickens does appear to > be allowed in both > the MDR and LDR Zones, just under different procedures and > subject to > different requirements. Even in the MDR Zone, I believe > that an owner could > seek an area variance from the ZBA to keep domestic animals > on a lot less > than two acres in size. Just thought that it would be > helpful to clarify > what our Zoning Code does allow. > > Prior to submitting a petition to change the Zoning, anyone > interested in > raising or keeping chickens in the Town of Ithaca for > domestic purposes > might consider first checking with Bruce Bates, the > Town's Director of Code > Enforcement, to find out what is permitted and to confirm > what the > procedures and requirements are. I think that they might > be pleasantly > surprised. > > Jon > > Jonathan Kanter, AICP > Director of Planning > Town of Ithaca > 215 North Tioga Street > Ithaca, NY 14850 > (607) 273-1747 > FAX: (607) 273-1704 > email: [email protected] _______________________________________________ For more information about sustainability in the Tompkins County area, please visit: http://www.sustainabletompkins.org/ RSS, archives, subscription & listserv information for: [email protected] http://lists.mutualaid.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainabletompkins Questions about the list? ask [email protected] free hosting by http://www.mutualaid.org
