AgendaItem#7b.

City of Revelstoke
Council Report
Date: To: From: Subject: April 5, 2013 Mayor and Council John J. Guenther, Planning Director Livestock bylaw and policy options (bees, hoofed animals and chickens)

1. ISSUE: Council and the community have received comments regarding legalizing various types of livestock (bees, chickens and small hoofed animals) in certain parts of the City. This report seeks direction from Council so that staff can begin drafting acceptable policies and bylaws. 2. RECOMMENDATION: THAT staff prepare a bylaw and policies, after public consultation, which may consider types of livestock uses in various parts of the City, and report back with those options. 3. CAO COMMENTS:

4. BACKGROUND: 4.1. The Official Community plan policy that recommends local agricultural resiliency follow: a. Under Health and Wellness: Increase community awareness of food security issues by encouraging local food production and purchasing, potentially creating local food co-ops; b. Under Land Use Section: Support production of locally grown food products and urban agriculture; c. Under General Land Use: Support hobby farms in areas designated rural residential or Agriculture AND locally grown good products and urban agriculture, including bylaws and policies that help guide the local production of food through community gardens, and scaled farm produce (e.g. egg production). 4.2. Council received letters in the summer of 2012 seeking support for backyard chickens. There are resource references that help support the care of chickens including feeding, housing, medical, and raising and these are available in the planning department.

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Livestock Staff report - update.

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5. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: 5.1. It is expected the net impact to the animal control and bylaw enforcement programs will be under $2000 per year, with a vigilant community awareness and self-management program. A cost recovery model (license fees and permits) is not proposed at this stage. 6. DISCUSSION: 6.1. Many jurisdictions have adopted a range of bylaws addressing livestock. 6.2. Staff recommends proceeding with the permission to have chickens in rural residential, single family and duplex zones of the City, with other restrictions for bees, and hoofed animals as attached and mapped. 6.3. Further changes will be proposed in the new zoning bylaw, which could allow for special permits between prohibited and permitted areas. 7. RELEVANT LEGISLATION: 7.1. Zoning Bylaw #1264;and 7.2. Animal Control Bylaw #1758 8. RECOMMENDATION and OPTIONS: 8.1. Recommendation: 8.2. THAT staff prepare a bylaw and policies, after public consultation, which may consider types of livestock uses in various parts of the City, and report back with those options. 8.3. Option 1: Council may choose to delay the bylaw until the new zoning bylaw is presented; and/or 8.4. Option 2: Council may choose to limit the types of livestock permitted e.g. chickens.

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Livestock Staff report - update.

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AgendaItem#7b.

Suggested Livestock criteria April 11, 2013 1. Bee Keeping - The following standards apply to provide for the safe and orderly keeping of bees. a. Bee keeping shall be permitted in the RR and RI Zones (a map will be referenced). b. The minimum parcel size shall be half an acre, and no more than six beehives shall be permitted per parcel; c. Beehives shall be located only in side or rear yards and shall be placed a minimum of 6 m from any property line. d. A flyway barrier shall be established and maintained so that all bees are forced to fly at an elevation of at least six feet above ground level in the vicinity of the beehive. Any fence or wall shall comply with the provisions of the Zoning bylaw, as well as the following: i. The height of the wall or fence shall be a minimum of 1.5 m; ii. The wall or fence shall be solid such that bees cannot fly through it; iii. The wall or fence shall be placed parallel to property lines; and iv. The wall or fences shall extend a minimum of 3 m beyond the beehive(s) in each direction. e. A convenient source of water shall be made available to the bees at all times of the year so that bees are less likely to congregate at swimming pools, pet watering bowls, bird baths, or other water sources. f. Beekeepers shall maintain all beehives with marked queens. In any instance in which a colony exhibits unusually aggressive characteristics by stinging or attempting to sting without due provocation or exhibits an unusual disposition toward swarming, beekeepers shall promptly re- queen the colony with another marked queen. Queens shall be selected with a gentle disposition from stock bred for gentleness and non- swarming characteristics. g. The applicant must coordinate all hive locations with the bear aware representative and suitably mitigate impacts. Hoofed Animals - The following standards apply to the keeping of any hoofed animal, including horses, mules, donkeys, goats, sheep, alpacas, llamas, and all other hoofed animals, with the exception of swine. No swine of any kind shall be permitted within the City. a. A unit animal is considered to be the following. The quantity of other hoofed animals shall be based on their relative size with respect to those in this list: i. 4 goats or sheep; ii. One horse or cow; iii. 2 alpacas or llamas; and iv. 2 donkeys. b. Hoofed animals shall be permitted in the rural Zones including RR60, UR, P1 (a map will be referenced) but must not be located in environmentally sensitive or riparian areas.

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Livestock Staff report - update.

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3.

c. A maximum of four unit animals shall be permitted for the first 0.4 ha of property, plus one unit animal for each additional 0.4 ha of property. d. Horticulture and farming, including the direct sale of produce from the farm, and the grazing and feeding of livestock in accordance with the Classification and Exemption of Certain Operations regulations pursuant to the Pollution Control Act, provided however that feeding pens for intensive feeding operations (including feed lots) shall be located not less than 75 meters from any watercourse or site boundary. e. Hoofed animals shall not be maintained or permitted within 25 m of any property line. f. Adequate measures shall be taken to prevent odor, dust, noise or drainage from becoming a health hazard or nuisance to uses on other properties. No incineration of animal refuse shall be permitted on the premises. Fowl - The following standards apply to the keeping of chickens and hens within the City. Turkeys, pigeons, peacocks, geese and all other similar birds shall not be permitted within the City. a. Fowl shall be permitted in the following Zones (a map will be referenced) RR, UR, R1, R2, R2A and R5. b. Female fowl shall be permitted within the City, with a maximum of six fowl permitted on any one parcel. c. Male fowl of any kind shall not be permitted within the City. d. Fowl shall not be maintained or permitted within 5 m of any property line. This shall include any coop, house, shed or other structure, or yard, corral or enclosure for housing, keeping or caring for fowl of any kind. e. All enclosures for the keeping of fowl shall be constructed to prevent any fowl from escaping and wandering upon property not within the enclosure, and shall be maintained in a clean and sanitary condition. f. Bear aware mitigation measures must be prescribed and maintained.

Livestock Staff report - update.

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Livestock Staff report - update.

City of Revelstoke
DRAFT Chicken Map
Legend
City Boundary Rail Line Water Feature Wetland Proposed - Chickens Permitted
DRAFT Chicken Map.mxd - April 17, 2013

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Livestock Staff report - update.

City of Revelstoke
DRAFT Bee Keeping Map
Legend
City Boundary Rail Line Water Feature Wetland Proposed - Bee Keeping
DRAFT Bee Keeping Map.mxd - April 17, 2013

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Livestock Staff report - update.

City of Revelstoke
DRAFT Hoofed Animals Map
Legend
City Boundary Rail Line Water Feature Wetland Proposed - Hoofed Animals
DRAFT Hoofed Animals Map.mxd - April 17, 2013

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