* THIS ITEM WAS TABLED AT THE NOVEMBER 14, 2014 COUNCIL MEETING.
Title
Incorporated County of Los Alamos Code Ordinance No. 02-251, An Ordinance Amending Chapter 6, Article I, Section 6.2, Of The Code Of Ordinances Of The Incorporated County Of Los Alamos Relating To Chickens In Proximity To Human Habitation.
Recommended Action
I move that Council adopt Incorporated County of Los Alamos Code Ordinance No. 02-251, An Ordinance Amending Chapter 6 of the Code of Ordinances of the Incorporated County of Los Alamos, relating to chickens in proximity to human habitation; and ask staff to assure that it is published in summary form.
Body
Residents of the County have made requests for the Council to consider an amendment to the Code of Ordinances to allow the keeping of a small number of chickens in all residential districts.
Section 6-2 of the Code of Ordinances currently prohibits the keeping of chickens within the County, except in the residential agricultural districts (R-A) zone and in all other residential districts, excluding Pajarito Acres and La Senda, if chickens are kept within 200 yards of a residence regularly used for human habitation.
A review and summary of other such ordinances around the state of New Mexico and a few from Colorado are attached as Exhibit C.
The proposed amendment expands the current ordinance to permit the practice of keeping chickens within all residential districts in the County subject to certain conditions:
· Must be for residential, noncommercial purposes;
· Maximum of 6 on any lot;
· Must be at least 16 square feet of permeable land available for each chicken;
· Must have at least 2 square feet of shelter space per chicken;
· Adequate shelter must be provided;
· Shelter must be kept clean, dry, odor-free and in sanitary condition at all times;
· Adequate fencing must be provided;
· Chickens must have access to the sun during daylight hours and kept in secure shelter at night;
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