Backyard Farmers To Take Their Case To The Town Council

Corte Madera could take one step closer toward suburban farming when the Town Council meets Tuesday, March 6, to discuss whether or not to expand the areas where residents can keep honey bees and chickens.

The meeting is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

Raising bees and chickens is currently allowed in only a few areas of Corte Madera. The amendment would open up residential zones to the non-commercial keeping of bees and chickens.

According to the analysis of the amendment: "The proposal limits the number of honey bee hives or chickens based on lot size. The proposal requires a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) for keeping of all honey bee hives. The proposal requires a CUP for keeping chickens on lots smaller than 5,000 sq. ft.; no CUP would be required for lots larger than 5,000 sq. ft."

The proposal has been a hot-button topic around town as it has made its way through the Planning Commission to the Town Council.

One opponent to the proposal wrote to Larkspur-Corte Madera Patch: "Chickens Are Noisy! Bees cannot be contained! Residents that want chickens or honey bees in this densely populated town are not being very neighborly."

Proponents argue that bees and chickens can actually be good for the environment and are not likely to cause a hazard if properly managed.

The proposal would prohibit roosters, quackinq ducks, guinea fowl and peafowl and limit chickens to six or fewer on parcels up to 5,000 square feet or eight chickens on parcels 5,000 square feet to a half-acre.

Also:

• Chickens must be kept in an enclosure or fenced area at all times. Chickens shall be secured within a chicken coop during non-daylight hours.

• A chicken coop structure is required to accommodate all chickens and shall comply with building location, setback and lot coverage standards for an accessory structure within the district it is located and shall be setback a minimum of 20 feet from an occupied dwelling on an adjacent residential parcel.

• Maintenance and operation of the chicken keeping shall include all applicable best management practices to provide safe and healthy living conditions for the chickens while avoiding adverse impacts on surrounding properties that would be detrimental to the public health, safety or Welfare.

Residents would be allowed to keep up to bee hives on a lot of a half-acre or less, or four hives on a lot greater than a half-acre.

Also:

• Honey bee hive boxes (colony) shall comply with building location, setback and lot coverage standards for an accessory structure within the district it is located and shall be setback a minimum of 20 feet from an occupied dwelling on an adjacent residential parcel.

• Honey bee hive boxes (colony) shall be located at least 20 feet from a public street or a public pedestrian or bicycle trail.

• A convenient and adequate source of Water shall be available to the honey bee colony at all times.

• A flyway barrier at least 6 feet in height consisting of a solid wall, fence or dense vegetation shall be installed between the honey bee hive colony and an abutting parcel in a residential district.

• Maintenance and operation of the honey bee hive shall include all applicable best management practices to provide safe and healthy living conditions for the bees while avoiding adverse impacts on surrounding properties that would be detrimental to the public health, safety or welfare.