San Benito County planning commission pauses overhaul of animal ordinance after large public turnout

The San Benito County Planning Commission on June 4 voted 4-0 to continue indefinitely proposed amendments to Title 13, the county’s animal ordinance, and recommended that the Board of Supervisors not proceed with the ordinance in its current form.

The commission’s action follows a staff presentation and more than two hours of public comment from growers, beekeepers, 4‑H leaders, veterinarians and residents who raised concerns about proposed livestock setbacks, grandfathering of existing operations, beekeeping standards and limits on household animals.

Victor Tafoya, Associate Planner, said staff drafted the update “to be clear, and clarify animal keeping rules, making them easy for everyone in our community to understand and follow.” He told the commission the draft draws on guidance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the University of California Cooperative Extension and includes new definitions (for example, defining “large livestock” as animals over 50 pounds), a 1,200‑foot setback from certain commercial crops that can be reduced to 400…