SR 06:015 - Laserfiche WebLink

.ATD\.CH:MENT 2 DRAFT PRZ-30. City of Pleasanton Consideration of amendments to Chapter 18 and related sections of the Pleasanton Municipal Code to allo_ the keeping of chickens in designated zoning districts _ithout discretionary revie_ or a public hearing. Mso Decker summarized the staff report, and described the history of this itemo At the request of both City Council and the Planning Commission, staff investigated and provided a potential Code amendment that ~ould allo~ the keeping of chickens. Certain standards ~ere also identified ~ith the previous conditional use permits that examined the preferable number of chickens, as ~ell as noise considerations and impacts. Staff believed that chickens could be kept in a residential area, although there ~as no substantive research regarding the number of chickens; four had been the breakline ~ith previous conditional use permits for a single-family residential district. With respect to the concerns regarding Avian Influenza, staff had provided several articles, and a memo regarding testing and vaccination of chicken ~as provided to the Commissiono The expert advice stated that if standard United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) cleanliness and animal husbandry practices ~ere conducted, that ~ould probably pre-empt any significant issues ~ith Avian Influenza; vaccination ~as not indicated at this time ~ithin the United States. California and Minnesota are t~o states that had a sentinel process for virus detectiono Infected birds ~ithin a one-mile radius ~ould require the euthanasia of fo~L Staff recommended that the Planning Commission find that the adoption of the proposed amendment as outlined in the staff report and the Municipal Code are statutorily exempt fronl CEQA and that a resolution recommending PRZ-30 to the City Council regarding the keeping of chickens be allo~ed in the single-family residential district. Ho~ever, if there is a determination by the Commission that there ~as a threat and risk of Avian Influenza is so great that the proposed Code amendment ~ould be denied, the Commission may recommend to City Council that the Code amendment be adopted, ~ith the addition of the follo~ing language relating to Avian Influenza: "The o~ner is responsible for practicing standard animal husbandry, and is required to maintain the chickens in a healthy condition, and have them inoculated if available, or recommended by the USDA. Ifnot, it ~oula be subject to revie~ and consideration by the Planning Director." The development standards may also be modified in relation to health practices in terms of cohabitation and the housing of chickenso In response to an inquiry by Commissioner Fox ~hether a variance ~ould be required for the keeping of additional chickens, Mso Decker noted that ~ould not happen unless it ~as memorialized in the Code in SOlne fashiono Chairperson Maas believed that families ~ith more than four chickens should be grandfathered in, Commissioner Blank inquired ho~ the City ~ould be able to tell ho~ many families had more than four chickens and ~hen they had acquired them. Commissioner Fox believed the distance from the coop to the neighbor's ~indo~s ~ould be problematical and suggested that the distance to the property line ~ould be more practical. Chairperson Maas did not believe that ~ould be a significant problem, DRAFT EXCERPTS: PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES, 12/14/05 Page 1 01"4