Council approves chickens in town

3-2 vote brings barnyard fowl back to Durango

by Garrett Andrews
Herald Staff Writer

Article Last Updated; Wednesday, November 04, 2009 3:20PM

In a rare 3-2 vote, and after a year-and-a-half of discussions, the Durango City Council approved a measure allowing the keeping of chickens in city limits at Tuesday's meeting.

After the vote, city resident KayCe Chadborn, who ranches chickens in New Mexico and has gone to every council meeting dealing with the issue to urge support, was smiling big.

"I'm so glad that Durango is not that far from agriculture," he said.

A 4-H coordinator and a believer in teaching agricultural skills to children, Chadborn said he'll have an easier time recruiting area schoolchildren to his programs with chickens as a carrot. But it almost had to wait.

Mayor Leigh Meigs and Councilor Doug Lyon, neither of whom revealed how they would vote until Tuesday's meeting, weren't sure the city was mature enough to handle the responsibilities that come with allowing smelly, dusty bear attractants into town.

Meigs, who earlier cited several of the more than 100 municipal ordinances passed in the last year that permit the keeping of backyard chickens, was concerned the animals would unfairly affect property values in the city's historic neighborhoods and felt the threat of smelly, unmaintained coops near open windows was serious. She worried an overworked code-enforcement division, reeling already from the loss of 1½ positions from budget cuts, would be distracted with heated neighborhood chicken disputes, disputes the cost associated with an annual permit fee will not recover.

"I don't believe this is a sustainability measure. I think it's more of an experimental one," Meigs said.

Lyon said Durango did allow chickens within city limits in the 1950s, but banned livestock. He said all the feedback he's heard is negative.

He said few people would persist in raising chickens once the "excitement wears off."

"I just not sure we're ready for chicken coops," he said. "I just don't think it's consistent with our dense city life."

Director of Planning and Community Development Greg Hoch said the ordinance was modeled closely on those of Fort Collins and Ridgway.

Fort Collins' chicken ordinance went into effect nearly a year ago. That year, the code-enforcement division took about 1,200 animal complaints, and only six to 10 were related to chickens.

After the ordinance goes into effect, Durangoans will be allowed as many as six hens (but no rooster older than 6 months) to be kept in a predator-resistant coop.

Councilors Michael Rendon and Christina Thompson both openly stated their support for the measure before Tuesday.

Rendon, who introduced the measure last year and said he didn't expect the controversy that followed, said the ordinance was part of a locally grown food movement, common across the country.

Also, he said, it allows residents to connect with the local landscape and nature, it fulfills constituents' desires and it is an excellent learning opportunity for children.

The remaining vote belonged to Councilor Paul Broderick, who hadn't indicated which way he'd vote until Tuesday. He said he didn't foresee many problems, or many interested urban farmers.

"But I say we give them a shot," he said. "If there are problems, we'll address them."

County resident Jim Dyer came to the meeting to voice his support for the ordinance, but expressed his reservations about a condition requiring a signed note from a veterinarian for every chicken an owner euthanizes.

He said butchering and eating chickens (especially the roosters at 6 months, but also the hens after they stop laying eggs) is a part of life.

After discussion, councilors approved removing the stipulation from the final version of the ordinance.

"I think it's unworkable, but it's up to you city-dwellers," Dyer said.

gandrews@durangoherald.com

Thursday, November 05, 2009
at 4:29:04 PM

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Amber says...

Patrick...go back to the city please and thank you! I do not want to live in Seattle or Portland...I want to live here...SMACK DAB IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MOUNTAINS...who is ignorant here????
Thursday, November 05, 2009
at 7:29:02 AM

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Patrick Leonetti says...

Reading the Mayor's concerns as well as some of the comments makes me laugh! This is the first "City" I have lived in that you were not allowed to have chickens. In progressive cites like Portland, OR and Seattle, WA you have been able to keep chickens for years. They do not have any of these uneducated concerns. I know there are going to be my detractors that say "Well, those cities do not have the wildlife we do", but they would be wrong. There are mountian lions on the outskirts of these cities and there are bears. They may not be down at the bus mall having a coffee and reading the paper, but in the suburbs they are.
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
at 3:45:52 PM

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Linda Humble says...

I can not believe how uneducated some city residents are about the recent acceptance of chickens in their backyards. I live in the country and enjoy not having dogs barking at my window, bear nuisance problems, and smell related to poorly kept chicken coops. Chicken coops draw all sorts of other animals such as raccoons, snakes, mice, and more bugs just to name a few. I can foresee otherwise friendly neighbors getting in some target shooting when they cannot bear the noise or stench of their neighbors dirty or un-maintained pen. Good luck city dwellers, I think lots of you will need double doses of patience if these feathered creatures end up living next door to you.
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
at 12:43:41 PM

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Amber says...

Why should farm animals be permitted in city limits? Old McDonald's farm was not next to the walking bridge. My next door neighbors had a chicken coup, outside of city limits, and one day another neighbors dog got in and slaughtered the chickens. This occured in front of all of the neighborhood kids. What followed was the dog being put down and the chicken coup never being repaired. It sat there looking and smelling aweful for years. The neighbors never spoke again and the once happy 'hood, turned into a nightmare. Why chickens? I think we should allow cattle to graze in the yards of Ms. Thompson and Mr. Rendon. I then think we should have horses up and down main, instead of cars, and we should allow cattle to roam throughout DHS's baseball field. I then think we should allow for guns to be allowed to go off in city limits. If a mountain lion enters my property because it is attracted to the chickens next door, why not shoot it...that is what happens in the COUNTRY when livestock is being attacked by wildlife. Way to turn up the heat City Council.
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
at 11:49:28 AM

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Diana Crawford says...

I hope that the people of Durango enjoy wildlife because having chickens in your back is going to increase your critter problems. Chickens are a draw for mountain lions, bobcats, racoons, skunks, hawks, weasles, stray dogs and this is just to name a few. I live in the country and have had problems with all of these animals and for see you regreting this decision. Other problems you will get, instead of barking dog calls you'll get noisy chicken and loose chickens are scratching up my flowers garden calls. ENJOY
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
at 11:06:16 AM

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Teresa Steely says...

At long last! Thank you City Council for finalizing this once and for all- my household health is going to improve by the many benefits provided by chickens (compost for my garden, fresh eggs, and the educational aspects this will present for kids). Go Durango!
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
at 10:52:09 AM

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Amy says...

Bravo to the city council. We live outside of town and have had chickens for the last 2 years. Not only do we enjoy wonderful organic eggs but we have not had grasshopers/bugs/mice anywhere near our vegtable garden or fruit trees-they are amazing hunters. Our 9 year old has learned responsibility by feeding and gathering eggs everyday.
I'm not sure why they are called dusty, stinky animals. Any animal that is not well taken care of is going to smell and get dirty-dogs can be much worse. Chickens are very clean. A little straw on the gound that can be composted later will solve all smell issues. As an added bonus they will eat left-over food scraps and they are enjoyable to watch. Chickens may not be for everybody, but everybody should have the choice of having them or not.