Here is a copy of the letter that I personally sent to the city council and planner... as well as Tualatin Life.Oct 8, 2013 To Whom It May Concern, As a resident of Tualatin, I would like to thank the city council for moving forward in crafting an ordinance legalizing the keeping of backyard chickens. The current items under consideration for inclusion are largely reasonable and appropriate. Although I have concerns regarding the amount and usage of the licensure fees associated with this ordinance, it is understandable that revenue is needed to fund related code enforcement efforts, etc. I would urge the council to show restraint when assigning such fees so as to avoid making owning a small backyard flock prohibitively expensive, especially for our citizens with modest incomes. I am dismayed however, at what the council is considering including as a guideline for the placement of backyard coops. If the current recommendation of a 25 foot setback from all property lines is adopted, it will make compliance with the ordinance impossible for a large portion of Tualatin’s residents based upon average lot size and shape. Surely, the purpose of the ordinance process is to craft guidelines that enjoy support from the majority of the community and allow for the inclusion of the greatest possible number of citizens. The proposed setback measurement is far greater than any of our neighboring municipalities require and seems an extreme reaction to nuisance concerns for neighboring properties. To pass an ordinance which includes this setback would allow the council to simultaneously lend support to backyard chickens, while preventing the majority of residents from actually owning such pets. I am confident that our council does not want to work toward the appearance of allowing for backyard flocks while actually banning them in practice. Rather, the goal should be creating guidelines which encourage safe and healthy pet ownership. I urge the city council and city planners to abandon the 25 foot setback guideline in favor of a more reasonable setback of 10 feet. Doing so would bring the Tualatin ordinance on par with neighboring communities and provide a reasonable ordinance for the legalization of small backyard flocks.
Posted on: Tue, 08 Oct 2013 22:29:39 +0000
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