Family hopes to raise chickens in Pasco

Amelia Larson hopes to use an empty chicken coop in her Pasco backyard to raise chickens with her four children.

The stay-at-home mom says it would be a chance for her kids to learn about raising their own food.

But whether the new coop's residents will be allowed depends on what the Pasco City Council decides about her request to allow chickens in residential zones.

Chickens are allowed only in residential suburban zones, but not residential zones, which have a smaller lot size. If Larson's request is approved, chickens and rabbits would be allowed in residential zones as well.

Families could then own up to three chickens in residential zones, with the total number of chickens, rabbits, dogs and cats capped at six for a single family home on a lot 5,000 square feet or larger, said Rick White, city community and economic development director.

Kennewick allows chickens in residential suburban zones but not other residential zones, unless the property was annexed into the city with the use grandfathered in and has continued to have chickens since annexation.

Richland allows chickens, except for roosters, and rabbits among permitted household pets, according to Richland municipal code. Each dwelling unit is limited to five household pets.

West Richland allows chickens and rabbits in residential zones. Homes are limited to two or five small animals, depending on density.

Larson said she and her husband, Jeff, never have owned chickens before, but she wanted to raise some of her family's food. At first, she thought chickens weren't possible in a residential neighborhood.

But her research found other cities did allow it.

So the stay-at-home mom sent a letter to the city asking officials to legalize small numbers of hens and rabbits in residential zones. And she included examples of ordinances from other cities like Seattle.

Larson said her family would likely try raising both, although they are most interested in chickens. Other families expressed interest in rabbits, prompting her to ask for both.

Chickens are among the easiest farm animals to care for and don't need much space, she said. And they don't make a lot of noise in comparison with other allowed pets, she said.

And Larson said they will eat almost any scraps and help fertilize gardens. That's a self-sufficiency she is looking for.

Her children, Gabriel, 12, Faith, 9, Asher, 6, and Elias, 3, are excited by the idea, and Gabriel spoke with Larson in support of the proposal before the Nov. 17 city planning commission, she said.

The city planning commission recommended that the council approve the change to city code.

Jason Caryl of Pasco asked the city council to support the measure. His family raised chickens when they lived in another area, and the joy his three children experienced and the things they learned from collecting eggs and cooking them was undeniable, he said.

But Glen Fry of Pasco said he doesn't like the idea of having a rickety old chicken coop near his home. If he wanted to live near livestock, he said he wouldn't have moved to Pasco.

Councilwoman Rebecca Francik said she thinks that if the city allows people to own large dogs, it's hard to say people can't have a couple of chickens.

"I find that dogs are much more annoying noise-wise than birds," she said.

Mayor Matt Watkins said he thinks using dog noise as a comparison isn't good because the city already has an issue with noise. Noise is the most common complaint he receives from city residents.

He said he would support chickens only if they were in or right next to the owner's bedroom.

But Francik said she grew up with chickens, and without roosters, they aren't that noisy. And they eat bugs in the garden and produce fresh eggs.

Councilman Al Yenney said he would support the measure but thinks that "hens" is too broad of a term. That could include guinea hens, he said.

The city council will continue to discuss the proposal at the Dec. 12 workshop meeting.

At first, Larson said she felt like she shouldn't bother. But the process has been relatively fast and city staff has worked with her, she said. She said she would encourage others who would like to see a change in city code to ask.

Spartanburg City Council passes first reading on chicken ordinance

There just might be a chicken dance soon inside Dr. Brian Rothemich's Coop D'Ville.

Spartanburg City Council voted in favor of amending its 2009 animal control ordinance Monday to allow residents to own up to six hens, with some restrictions.

Rothemich, a retired Spartanburg physician, had asked council to amend its ordinance to allow hens after he was cited this past autumn for having five hens in his Coop D'ville — a chicken coop outside his Converse Heights home.

Rothemich's request has since prompted lengthy debate on council and culminated Monday during a public hearing designed to gauge citizen's interest in allowing a limited number of hens.

Several city residents spoke, and a couple of comments were received from people who live in the county, during a public hearing Monday in support of Rothemich's request. Most said owning hens was not much different than owning cats or dogs if the owner is responsible in providing a safe, protected and clean area for their animals.

Only one resident, Jack Slemenda of Hillbrook Drive, spoke against the proposal, citing possible disease concerns and that hens could be prey for predators such as coyotes and foxes. Slemenda said a “handful of cities might allow hens, but that was hardly a reason for Spartanburg” to do so.

“We've been made to believe by a handful of people that if we allow this, Spartanburg has arrived, but there are more important issues that need to be addressed other than whether to allow henhouses,” he said.

Others, including a pediatrician and a veterinarian in addition to Rothemich, asked council to consider the proposal. Some, however, said the guidelines that staff had introduced were too restrictive.

Rothemich reiterated the health benefits of fresh eggs and said hens don't produce nearly the noise that an annoying barking dog does.

Rothemich said asking adjacent neighbors to endorse hens annually was cumbersome, but he didn't balk at paying an annual fees as suggested by Councilwoman Linda Dogan.

Dogan previously had spoken against the proposal, but she made the motion to approve the item on first reading if owners paid an annual fee — she suggested $5 per hen — during the permitting process.

City Manager Ed Memmott said it would be appropriate for council to discuss possible fees during its budget sessions in May, and the public would have an opportunity to speak for or against fees at that time. Any fee would likely go into effect on July 1, 2012, the first day of the next fiscal year.

Councilman Joe Spigner voted against the measure, saying he was voting the conscience of his constituents.

Spigner, who is running for re-election this year, said he's been talking with residents in his district and has not met one constituent who is in favor of allowing hens in the city.

“When I talk to people, I hear a lot of skepticism,” he said. “I'm just trying to echo their sentiments.”

Councilwoman Cate Ryba, whose district includes Converse Heights, said she's excited the item has been approved, and she thinks having a fee associated with the permitting process is fair.

“What we heard tonight is that hens are pets with the added bonus of laying eggs,” Ryba said. “I think it's clear from the majority of those who spoke here tonight is this is something people want.”

From nonfiction titles to novels, reading fits into seasonal pursuits

A new James Bond spy thriller and three - count 'em - new James Patterson novels.

Fresh titles from two masters of nonfiction: David McCullough (Pulitzer Prize winner for Truman and John Adams) and Erik Larson ( The Devil in the White City).

Those and lots of other goodies can be stuffed into your book bag, whether you're destined for a South Carolina beach or the backyard hammock come summer.

With help from staff members at the Columbus Metropolitan Library, we've compiled a list of fiction and nonfiction titles to watch for, along with the months in which they'll be published.

10th Anniversary (Little, Brown; 448 pages; $27.99) by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro - Murder, mystery and romance: Lindsay, Yuki and Cindy grapple with them all in the 10th installment of the "Women's Murder Club" mystery series.

Sixkill (Putnam, 304 pages, $26.95) by Robert B. Parker - The Boston Police Department asks Spenser to investigate the case of bad-boy actor Jumbo Nelson, accused of the rape and murder of a young woman. Parker, the author of more than 50 books, died in January.

The Final Storm (Ballantine, 480 pages, $28) by Jeff Shaara - In the style of The Killer Angels (by his father, Michael), the son's novel tells the story of the World War II battle of Okinawa from the perspective of players such as soldiers and generals.
Nonfiction

On China (Penguin, 608 pages, $36) by Henry Kissinger - The former secretary of state, who spent 40 years interacting with Chinese leaders, draws on his experiences as well as historical sources to paint a picture of China's engagement with the West.

In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin (Crown, 464 pages, $26) by Erik Larson - The author of The Devil in the White City creates a portrait of Berlin during the first year of Hitler's reign.

The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris (Simon & Schuster, 576 pages, $37.50) by David McCullough - Elizabeth Blackwell, James Fenimore Cooper, Nathanial Hawthorne, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Samuel F.B. Morse, Mark Twain and scores more were among those whose genius was sparked in the City of Light from 1830 to 1900. The Pulitzer Prize-winning McCullough relates their stories. (to be released Tuesday)