New Haven Independent

Chickens Advance; Proviso Urged For Bad Eggs

by Leonard J. Honeyman | July 14, 2009 7:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)

Like birds of a feather, aldermanic committee members flocked together to bring the keeping of up to six hens under controlled conditions closer to becoming legal in New Haven.

After more than a year and a half of scratching by supporters (pictured looking on as a vote neared), only the Board of Aldermen now stands between people who want to raise chickens in the city and the cluck of hens in their backyards.

Five members of the Legislation Committee unanimously voted Monday night to send the much-amended text amendment to the zoning laws on the full board for a reading in August and a vote in September.

It wasn’t easy. Although the dozens of speakers at last month’s marathon session had dwindled to less than a dozen, it took a number of “friendly” amendments to accomplish what they all seemed to want to do.

First, they discovered, with the help of City Plan deputy Tom Talbot, that their reluctance to allow a 200-square-foot “enclosure” was unnecessary. “Enclosure” didn’t mean the structure they thought it did. It meant an open, fenced-in area.

Then they decided that, since city rules already mandated a building permit for any auxiliary building of greater then 100 square feet, they didn’t have to worry about building permits.

Much of the discussion centered not around whether to allow the chickens at all, but around how to make sure it was done in the right way.

Michael Darre, pictured, a University of Connecticut professor and chicken expert, told the committee that there are a number of excellent books out on raising chickens in urban settings and that he runs seminars at various extensions. He said a half-dozen chickens don’t need more than a few feet of space. Illnesses linked to raising chickens are not found in the United States, but in poor nations where people live in the same space as the chickens, he said.

He said he was invited to speak to the committee by home-chickens advocate Rebecca Weiner.

Most of the speakers before the committee Monday night supported the amendment, as they did last month. But those who were not enthusiastic supporters wanted to make sure negative predictions did not come home to roost and to assure residents something could be done about it if the naysayers were proven right.

“We must keep the most responsible citizens in mind, not the least responsible in mind” when passing the amendment, said Edgewood community activist Peaches Quinn, pictured. She urged the committee to put a number of safeguards in place.

“You’re concerned about the bad egg” and what that person might do, said East Rock Alderman Roland Lemar, the committee chairman, “and also about the good egg.”

Beaver Hills Alderman Mordechai Sandman proposed there be companion legislation addressing the concerns expressed by Quinn and Colony Road resident Daniel Prober, who said his neighbors were concerned about irresponsible chicken keepers.

After the meeting, Sandman said he would work for legislation that would codify the rules, punishments and what, for example, happens to chickens that are seized from noncompliant residents. He said there are two months before the full board votes on the amendment. If sufficient safeguards are not in place, he said, he will revisit his support.

Share this story

Share |

Comments

Posted by: truthtopower | July 14, 2009 9:07 AM

This is a wonderful step forward for anyone concerned about our food supply. Home gardens, chickens and natural fertilizer from those chickens, can all bring us a step closer to having real food again.
Is there anything better than a home grown tomato?

Posted by: Real Fair Havener | July 14, 2009 9:33 AM

This is the single most idiotic thing I have heard of from the Board of Aldermen. We have legislation being driven by Roland Lemar, a nice guy, who lives in a neighborhood where this will not be a problem.

He lacks the illegal auto shops in back yards that we have. He lacks the pit bulls that people poorly raise.

Yet he and some of his similar colleagues put forth a bill which is for their neighbors who will have some cute little chickens. They have big yards and people live next to each other for decades.

Outside East Rock, Westville and the East Shore, the rest of us will get a nightmare. We will get disgusting chicken coops, roosters that scream out when we finally get to sleep from working second shift, and a barnyard next door.

This is why DeStefano gets re-elected, despite all the whining people do here. He actually sees that there is more than just his little corner of New Haven. While truly decent folks like Roland Lemar appeal to exactly one constituency while not even realizing the havoc they are creating for everyone else.

This is a public health, noise and angry neighbors disaster waiting to happen.

Tell me which city with chickens next door the "urban chicken expert" in this story actually lives next to. I am guessing we all know the answer without even asking.

Posted by: Peter Stein | July 14, 2009 12:07 PM

Dear Real Fair Havener,

I respect your concerns. As it is, there are already chickens living all over Fair Haven and many other parts of the city. Those who are going to keep them irresponsibly are going to do it no matter what the law says. This ordinance gives the city a standard for enforcement to help make sure that those who keep chickens are doing it in a decent way. Furthermore, roosters are specifically prohibited under this ordinance, so if a neighbor's rooster is crowing it won't be the fault of this ordinance - though the city will now be clearly empowered to confiscate the offending bird.

Furthermore, this ordinance is not simply to please a group of middle class people in East Rock and Westville. The group working on this legislation heard from many lower-income chicken keepers in other neighborhoods who support this legislation so that they can keep the birds they already have and not lose a cheap source of food and high quality protein. Many people around the city stand to benefit from this ordinance. Yes, we have to be vigilant to make sure people keep chickens responsibly. But I think that is a challenge we can meet.

Posted by: JZ | July 14, 2009 4:30 PM

May I ask who will be enforcing the rules of this ordinance? This city has a police force that barely covers major crimes.

Posted by: concerned | July 14, 2009 7:25 PM

Hi JZ,I believe it should be handled by the health department. Ofcourse the aldermen will probably dump it on an inappropriate department. I can't believe this is going to pass, but I know it will. By the way, if and when any chickens are taken, who takes them, where do they go, what happens to them? Did anyone think about that issue? Let's just throw them in the animal shelter or is someone thinking of putting them down forever in the ground? Let's see what the hen huggers say about that when enforcement begins?

Posted by: JZ | July 14, 2009 9:22 PM

I'd love to see a big effort to stamp out dog fighting and cock fighting in this city.

Really, the whole hen keeping thing is ridiculous and most definately a subject that appeals to a certain (very small) segment of New Haven.

Posted by: rosemarie | July 15, 2009 12:40 AM

Some of the previous posters prove the very point they are trying to protest; the enemy of the people is not nurturance of domestic birds but ignorance of nurturance. Is it really possible that "Concerned" and others of that ilk genuinely believe that keeping a few domestic hens is a threat to the local community? Yes, the hens drop bird droppings - so do the pigeons in Times Square. So, yes, the birds tidy up the bugs and larvae that afflict our plants -- so do commercial pesticides which eventually leach into the water table and lead to leukemia and cancer in our children; so, yes, the birds allow us to benefit from newlaid eggs unpolluted by those industrial chemicals and hormones that have caused so many health hazards in recent years; so, yes, they provide nitrogen and other soluble nutrients to our soil in lieu of industrial fertilisers that carry toxic elements into our precious soil.

Has "Concerned" et al actually investigated the commercial, supermarket chicken? the kind you regularly grill, roast or fry for your table, or purchase at Kentucky Fried? ? I suggest you go there: try

http://www.kentuckyfriedcruelty.com/f-kfc_fried_videos.asp?c=kfcvg08&gclid=CNzp8vHo1psCFRd75QodzGho-w

and then try
http://urbanchickens.org/chicken-food-and-diet

Continue on -- you'll get the picture.

It's a pretty one, as you'll see if you investigate urban chickens. It only gets ugly in the commercial industry and, of course, in the realms of the ignorant.

Chickens Advance; Proviso Urged For Bad Eggs

Comments

Sections

Neighborhood News

Special Sections

Legal Notices

Some Favorite Sites

Government/ Community Links

Flyerboard

Sponsors

N.H.I. Site Design & Development

NHI Store

News Feed