14835 Prairie Vist Loop SEMicrosoft Office Outlook - Memo Style (4)Gary Carlson
From: Grant Beck
Sent: Tuesday, April 16, 2013 12:27 PM
To: Gary Carlson; Kevin Ray
Subject: RE: Chickens
Good grief.
The Zoning Code, in the R -4 zoning district (which is the zoning for Tahoma Terra per
the approved Master Planned Community), states at Section 17.12.020 (13)(4) YMC that:
5. The keeping of common household animals or pets is permitted; provided, that their keeping does not constitute a
nuisance or hazard to the peace, health and welfare of the community in general and neighbors in particular
It further states at Section 17.12.030 that:
B. Uses other than those identified or described in YMC 17.12.020 are prohibited.
This means that anything other than keeping a common household animal or pets is
NOT permitted.
The Zoning Code does not define pets'. Therefore we can look to the other definitions
in the City Code for guidance. The Animal Control Code defines "Pet Animal" at Section
6.08.030 (S) as:
"Pet animal" means any species of wild or domestic animal sold or retained for the purpose of being kept for pleasure,
companionship or utilitarian purposes and not kept as a food source.
Therefore: If the chickens are kept for a food source, they are NOT a pet and are
prohibited in the R -4 zoning district.
Grant Beck, Director of Community Development
City of Yelm 1 105 Yelm Avenue West I Yelm, WA 98597 1 www.ci.yelm.wa.us
(360) 458 -8408 1 (360) 458 -3144 FAX I cirantb @ci.yelm.wa.us
From: Gary Carlson
Sent: Tuesday, April 16, 2013 11:58 AM
To: Kevin Ray
Cc: Grant Beck
Subject: RE: Chickens
It was hard for me to, but since it only mentions cats, dogs and any other pet and chickens by definition are not pets that
rules them out. If someone wants to argue, there is nothing you can do about it. However, when Todd delivers a
citation to them I think they usually get the hint.
Gary
From: Kevin Ray
Sent: Tuesday, April 16, 2013 11:54 AM
1
To: Gary Carlson
Cc: Grant Beck
Subject: RE: Chickens
6.08 is definitions, this guys is asking where does it state in the city of Yelm you cannot have chickens . I have looked
and looked am I missing something..
Kevin Ray
Public Works Field Supervisor
360- 458 -8406
901 Rhoton Rd SE
Yelm WA 98597
From: Gary Carlson
Sent: Tuesday, April 16, 2013 11:36 AM
To: Kevin Ray
Subject: FW: Chickens
Kevi n,
Attached is my email chain with Grant. These are tough calls but I now believe that if you want to show some one in
ordinance form, that chapter 6.08 intent and definition of pet clearly exclude chickens as being allowed.
Gary
From: Grant Beck
Sent: Tuesday, April 16, 2013 11:31 AM
To: Gary Carlson
Subject: RE: Chickens
So THAT is also a citation, please send him the section number in the animal chapter.
We did regulate chickens under the zoning code for the 2008 complaint, though.
Grant Beck, Director of Community Development
City of Yelm 1 105 Yelm Avenue West I Yelm, WA 98597 1 www.ci.yelm.wa.us
(360) 458 -8408 1 (360) 458 -3144 FAX I grantb @ci.yelm.wa.us
From: Gary Carlson
Sent: Tuesday, April 16, 2013 11:30 AM
To: Grant Beck
Subject: RE: Chickens
The reason I never used chapter 17 is because it does not define pets. Chapter 6.08 intent is to regulate dogs, cats and
other pet animal. The chapter defines a pet animal to paraphrase "cannot be one to be used or to produce food. Thus
chickens are specifically not allowed under chapter 6.08.
From: Grant Beck
Sent: Tuesday, April 16, 2013 11:22 AM
To: Gary Carlson
Subject: RE: Chickens
Gary -
N
This doesn't do what I needed, which is to provide the specific citation for the violation.
It is a zoning code violation pursuant to 17.12.020:
5. The keeping of common household animals or pets is permitted; provided, that their keeping does not constitute a
nuisance or hazard to the peace, health and welfare of the community in general and neighbors in particular;
Grant
Grant Beck, Director of Community Development
City of Yelm 1 105 Yelm Avenue West I Yelm, WA 98597 1 www.ci.yelm.wa.us
(360) 458 -8408 1 (360) 458 -3144 FAX I grantb @ci.yelm.wa.us
From: Gary Carlson
Sent: Tuesday, April 16, 2013 9:45 AM
To: Grant Beck
Subject: FW: Chickens
From: Gary Carlson
Sent: Monday, April 15, 2013 11:29 AM
To: Kevin Ray
Subject: Chickens
Kevi n,
Attached is a letter I sent in 2008. 1 did use the term zoning, if you need to cite code you may want to change that to
animal control.
Gary
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