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Commissioners review animal-keeping limits and home-occupation rules for pet businesses
Summary
Planning staff proposed basing pet and livestock allowances on lot acreage and asked whether animal-control should administer additional-animal entitlements, while commissioners raised concerns about permitting pet-related businesses in residential neighborhoods.
The Planning Commission discussed proposed changes to animal-keeping rules that would base allowable numbers of animals on parcel size rather than solely on zoning, and considered whether animal-control should administer additional-animal entitlements and related appeals.
Staff and City animal-control officer Rick Boyd described anomalies in the current code where similar-sized properties in different zones can have different by-right allowances. The draft table shown to commissioners proposes amounts tied to lot acreage and keeps personal, noncommercial pet keeping separate from commercial animal activities. Staff said that when residents need to exceed the by-right allotment they currently apply for an additional animal entitlement (AEP) and animal control performs outreach (mail to neighbors within 300 feet) before approving or denying those requests.
Public commenter Kim Ordemond — who said she has experience keeping horses — urged care with numerical allowances, saying "I would probably rephrase it a little. I wouldn't have 4 horses if I only had 1 acre. That's just too small of an area." Animal control raised operational concerns about parking, traffic, noise, feces, hair and other sanitation when permitting animal-related home businesses such as dog daycares or grooming operations in residential neighborhoods.
Commissioners and staff discussed allowing home-based mobile pet services (where the operator travels to clients) while limiting customer traffic to private homes to avoid frequent drop-offs and pick-ups. Several commissioners requested clearer code language that points applicants to animal-control processes for licensing and AEPs, and to distinguish accessory structures tied to a residence from proposed greenhouses or livestock uses on vacant parcels. A few commissioners said they favor returning for an additional study session to refine thresholds, home-occupation rules and AEP procedures before any ordinance change.
No code amendment was adopted at the meeting; staff said they will prepare a revised draft and schedule another study session and will coordinate with animal control to make the permit and appeal processes clear in the development code.
