Item 5: Ordinance on Urban Animal Keeping Standards

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ECC UGENE ITY OUNCIL AIS GENDA TEM UMMARY Public Hearing: An Ordinance Concerning Urban Animal Keeping Standards; and Amending Sections 9.2010, 9.2682, 9.2740, 9.3115, 9.3210, 9.3310, 9.3810, 9.3910, and 9.5250 of the Eugene Code, 1971, and Section 4.996 of that Code. (City File CA 12-2) Meeting Date: January 22, 2013 Agenda Item Number: 5 Department: Planning & Development Staff Contact: Kristie Brown www.eugene-or.gov Contact Telephone Number: 541-682-6041 ISSUE STATEMENT The City Council will hold a public hearing to consider land use code amendments related to urban animal keeping within the city limits. BACKGROUND Last year, the City Council initiated code amendments related to the farm animal standards. The purpose of these code amendments is to allow for increased opportunities for residential urban farming, while addressing compatibility within the urban environment. These amendments are intended to promote elements of the City of Eugene Food Security Scoping and Resource Plan, Envision Eugene and the Climate and Energy Action Plan. While farm animals are currently allowed in residential zones, these amendments are intended to increase the number of farm animals allowed in an urban setting, while still addressing neighborhood livability issues. Specifically, the amendments propose the following: • Increase the number of allowed chickens, rabbits, and other fowl. • Add an allowance for two miniature goats, one miniature pig and two beehives. • Clarify and strengthen the requirements on sanitation, fencing, enclosures, and setbacks. • Allow for harvesting of chickens, fowl, or rabbits on site. The Food Security Scoping and Resource Plan and the animal keeping codes from a broad range of other cities were used as a basis to develop these amendments. From this work, a set of code concepts were identified and reviewed by several community stakeholders with expertise in the field. Based on this feedback, code language addressing the farm animal standards was drafted and the renaming of these standards to “urban animal keeping” was proposed to help clarify the intent. A summary of the proposed code language is provided as Attachment A. Following initial public feedback, the formal public process began with a Planning Commission public hearing on December 11, 2012, where a total of 13 people provided testimony. S:\CMO\2013 Council Agendas\M130122\S1301225.doc