By Scott Sullivan
Editor
Debbi Larsen, 3071 May St., wrote the City of Douglas March 9 about her neighbor’s chickens.
“These issues,” she said, “began over 2 years ago when Cassandra (not her real name) came to my door asking me to sign a paper saying she could have chickens, I had no idea about any of this so I said no I wouldn’t sign anything.
“The next day I received a letter from the city telling me about the chickens and I had 21 days to oppose them, which I did. She started building her coop anyway. She said she got approved to build it, but she did NOT!
“I realize she won the lawsuit against the city, and they must change the ordinance so neighbors can’t oppose the chickens,” Larsen went on.
But “we have lived in our home 26 years,10 years longer than Cassandra has been in her mother Hecuba’s (also made up) home, and I’m sorry. but ee have rights too. We smell and hear the chickens when we sit on our back porch in the summer; her home is on a small city lot in the middle of Douglas!
“We could get a lawyer to support our rights but I’m not going to waste my money or do that to the city. Cassandra got a free lawyer threw (sic) some group that supports chickens.”
Larsen, who asked that her letter be read aloud before council Monday, March 16, asked, “each of you to think if your neighbor put up a coop next to your house, how would you feel? We don’t live on acres, we live on small lots.
“Cassandra also has feral cats which come in my yard and poop and kill my birds, but that has been going on for years and nothing can be done with that either.
“I appreciate you taking the time to read my letter,” Larsen said.
Council did more than listen Monday. They amended the city’s two-year-old chicken ordinance to, in planning a zoning administrator Sean Homyen’s words:
• Clarify permit application requirements,
• Establish certified mail notice to adjacent property owners,
• Allow neighbor comments to be considered as part of the review process without automatically resulting in permit denial,
• Establish review criteria for permit approval
• Creatr an appeal process to city council, and
• Clarify permit renewal procedures.
“Overall,” said Homyen, “the amendments are intended to clarify the permit process and improve administration of chicken permits. They are primarily administrative in nature and do not expand where chickens are permitted within the city.
The revised ordinance will be published on March 26and will become effective April 15.
