It's Not Over 'Til the Fat Chicken Sings
Tuesday, March 12, 2013 at 9:59AM From this morning's front page of the Bradenton Herald. I might get those chickens yet...and the car! Wow!
Manatee County chicken proponents squawk for action
Published: March 12, 2013
— skennedy@bradenton.com
MANATEE -- A group of activists are squawking for legalization of dooryard chickens.
Members of the Manatee chapter of Citizens Lobbying for Urban Chicken Keeping, also known as CLUCK, plan to appear during a workshop session March 19 to urge adoption of an ordinance allowing people to raise hens in yards in residential neighborhoods, members said Monday.
"The staff never did what they were directed to do, which was to hold meetings and write a white paper for the commission, so we're still waiting for that to happen," explained CLUCK co-
founder Rob Kluson.
"We were told to cooperate, and we are, but they've never really done their part for us to work with them in negotiating conditions to allow backyard chickens and that stuff."
"We're ready to go, our membership is ready to start having chickens," he said.
Under the current Land Development Code, chickens are illegal in residentially-zoned neighborhoods, a county planning official has told The Herald.
But next week, commissioners are slated to review the code as part of a larger update, and CLUCK members would like to see included new rules allowing chickens, they said. Kluson said the pro-chicken faction has slated a strategy meeting for 6 p.m. tonight at the Palmetto Branch Library, 923 6th St. W., Palmetto, Kluson said.
The Holmes Beach City Commission is slated to consider an ordinance tonight that would address the same issue, city officials said Monday.
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