Monday, March 14, 2016
9
This spring break I returned home to the suburb of all suburbs; New Tampa. What was once an area where cows and horses roamed, the area is now full of man made ponds and neatly placed suburbs. Incorporated within the last thirty years, New Tampa is home to a serious homeowner's association where code enforcement is taken very seriously. This means that lawns must be neatly kept, houses must be freshly power washed and painted, and pets should be limited to those found at the local PetSmart (or humane society if you're feeling adventurous). At its core, it was once a piece of undeveloped land, what a different place Tampa would have been should the owner applied for a conservation easement and restricted use. I wonder if development would've been different? Would the Tampa's transportation system look a little bit different?
As I was reading the assigned literature for this week, I couldn't help but think about my hometown as a picture of what we have talked about in class. As we have driven agriculture out of the incorporated city, "livestock is finding its way back into the city" (Butler, 2011). While I was home, I ran into my neighbor who unlawfully houses chickens in his back yard. We began talking about the ins and outs of owning chickens in the suburbs, how much his children love them, and the differences between a grocery bought egg and fresh egg. Despite all of these benefits, he has received notice of noise complaints from the neighbors. Due to Tampa's municipal codes, complaints from neighbors are often reinforced and backed, even though they may not be rooted in public health issues (Butler, 2011).
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I grew up in South Florida and it was a common occurrence to see horses and cows in random suburban areas throughout the city, but never chickens. I wonder if there were municipal codes that prevented this. I do remember seeing a lot of private gardens where people grew their own fresh fruits and vegetables, but that's it. I've never seen chickens within the city limits until I moved to Tallahassee.
ReplyDeleteTo be a kind of devil's advocate, I can imagine why there are some urban areas that do not allow chickens. My "around-the-corner" neighbors in the neighborhood where I grew up had chickens and one big, mean rooster. The rooster was so noisy and usually tried chased you when you tried to walk past the house (and my brother is pathologically fearful of roosters so it was just a bad situation). My parents tried to be understanding of why our neighbors had wanted chickens (for all of the benefits outlined in the readings) but a) they did not agree with allowing chickens in a residential zone, and as property owners have a vested interest in the neighborhood they bought into and b) our aggressive, indoor-outdoor cat was always eyeing those chickens. Can you imagine if he had killed one? While I agree with the concept of allowing livestock in certain residential zones, this allowance should be explicit. Otherwise, you will end up with a bunch of grumpy property owners who weren't aware they lived in a residential zone that allowed animals.
ReplyDeleteLiving in a classic suburban gated community where every house is a variation of the same design and color scheme, it's hard to imagine someone sneaking chickens into their backyard. As much as I understand the potential noise issue, I wonder if it would be more successful for residential planning to incorporate boundaries around chicken husbandry rather than flat out criminalizing them. For instance, hens only, a coop that wouldn't leave waste all over the ground, a limit to the number of hens. That way there is a direct reference on how to deal with complaints of chicken disobedience rather than just saying to get rid of them.
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