EDGEWATER — An eight-month push by some Edgewater residents to allow backyard chickens, goats and beehives is now the law, but not everyone is wild about it.
And even those who fought for the ordinance say parts of the new regulations are more restrictive than those in surrounding communities.
Residents in a detached home now can have a total of three dogs and/or cats; the cap is two for people who live in an apartment. Up to six regulated animals are allowed — including any combination of chickens, ducks, rabbits, miniaturize goats and beehives (one hive counting as an animal).
Licensing and compliance will be required for all regulated animals, and the slaughter of animals is prohibited.
Lilly Steirer, who has six chickens on her Edgewater property, said many in the local urban farming community still want to be allowed to cull their animals and to have more than six chickens.
“I feel the difference between raising six or a dozen chickens isn’t that dramatic,” Steirer said. “From what I understand, the ordinance makes it a felony animal cruelty charge to slaughter your own farm animal. It’s quite the opposite to humanely cull our food sources, which is not happening in our current food system.”
Councilwoman Myra Keeble said she fully supports sustainability efforts but voted against the ordinance, saying that in trying to strike a balance between the rights of animal owners and the rights of neighbors not keen on backyard farm animals, the ordinance skewered too far on the side of the animal owners.
“One of the larger issues people complain about is nuisances related to dogs and cats,” Keeble said. “I was afraid that by allowing for animals such as goats, we were adding additional layers of complexity that will increase nuisance issues.”
Before the City Council passed the new ordinance earlier this month on a 4-2 vote, Edgewater residents were in a state of legal limbo over keeping farm animals in backyards. City regulations didn’t technically allow for the raising of livestock — the animals weren’t even mentioned in the code book.
“This issue came up last May because a couple neighbors were at odds over goats,” said city manager HJ Stalf.
Alison Williams began raising two goats at her home in the 2500 block of Eaton Street early last year. Her family quickly fell in love with Homer and Maggie.
“I wanted my children to know about food cycles and sustainability,” Williams said. “They’re part of the family; they offer the friendliness of dogs, curiosity of cats and pay their way with milk and hair fiber.”
Her neighbor, however, was not so fond of the noise and the smell. Code enforcement officers got involved, and the lack of an ordinance was made clear.
Williams began researching how other cities addressed the issue and enlisted the help of other urban farming enthusiasts to speak before council to draft regulations allowing farm animals.
The effort received heated criticism, with a number of arguments between residents breaking out at council meetings.
Edgewater Mayor Kris Teegardin agreed City Council should look at refining the ordinance in the future, suggesting loosening the number of chickens allowed would be a good start.
“We’ll look at what’s best for the entire community and in the meantime, hopefully we put in some regulations that will alleviate some of these neighbor squabbles,” Teegardin said.
Austin Briggs: 303-954-1729, abriggs@denverpost.com or @abriggs
