Bonney Lake to Control Poultry Ownership Within City Limits

A combination of increasing food prices, as well as a drive for fresh and organic food, has led to a new trend in small urban farming. Many Bonney Lake residents have looked to our farming roots and have begun raising chickens as part of this trend. This practice has a diverse set of benefits including fresh eggs and meat, animal husbandry projects for children, on top of the joy in raising the animals as pets. 

But this passion for pultry has some residents losing sleep.

On Feb. 22, the Bonney Lake City Council passed an Animals Ordinance, which is part of Bonney Lake Municipal Code 6.04. The ordinance includes specific guidelines for raising poultry and livestock within city limits, as well as rules for more traditional pets, such as dogs and cats. A particular portion of the ordinance limits poultry to lot sizes that are at least 4,500 square feet and only allows residents to keep three chickens per lot. The ordinance makes no mention of roosters. The entire Animal Ordinance can be found on the city website.

The regulation of chickens seems, at first glance, like a fairly simple matter. However, since the ordinance passed several council members have received numerous complaints from residents, from all points of view. Issues range from the types and numbers of chickens and location of chicken coops to chickens with too much free range, as well as the safety of the chickens. 

During March's Public Safety Committee meeting, an amendment to the new ordinance was drafted in hopes of striking a balance between neighbors with chickens and neighbors without. If the amendment passes, residents living on less than one acre of land will be allowed up to three chickens, whereas residents living on one or more acres can have as many as six chickens. Bonney Lake residents will no longer be allowed to keep roosters. 

Bonney Lake City Councilmember Laurie Carter confirmed that she has personally received accounts of many chicken-related difficulties including:

1.  A rooster crowing early in the morning near Church Lake;
2.  Escaped chickens destroying expensive landscaping and irrigation systems;
3.  Chicken coops near property lines resulting in neighbors' loss of sleep; 
4.  Dogs killing and maiming their neighbors' free-range chickens; 
5.  Wild animals killing domestic animals such as poultry, cats and dogs.

As a result of the renewed public interest, much of the public safety meeting was spent revisiting the chicken issues. 

"We need to have peaceful coexistence with our neighbors, be they human, poultry, canine, feline or wild beasts," said Carter. "Understanding the human desire for fresh eggs, poultry to eat, poultry for pets, 4-H and FFA projects, but also trying to provide safety for the poultry we decided to set limits that will hopefully provide a safe haven for poultry." 

City councilmembers investigated the rules of adjacent cities, including Seattle, which also prohibits roosters but does not restrict housing chickens in smaller spaces.    

The amendment to BLMC 6.04 is still awaiting final legal approval, which is expected by March 17, but the members of the Safety Committee feel they have found a way to protect everyone’s interests. The final approval of the updated poultry code has tentatively been placed on the City Council agenda for March 22.