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Paradise Council adopts ordinance allowing more hens and rabbits, changes setback rules
Summary
Council adopted Ordinance 6‑53 to allow up to 12 combined hens and rabbits and to set setbacks (100‑foot well setback, 50‑foot setback from owner residence); council debated keeping a longer neighbor setback but ultimately approved the ordinance as presented.
The Paradise Town Council voted to adopt Ordinance 6‑53, which increases the allowable combined number of hens and rabbits on a residential property to 12 and adjusts setback requirements for animal enclosures.
Susan (staff presenter) outlined the ordinance, which would: raise the combined allowance for hens and rabbits to 12; memorialize a 100‑foot setback from water wells (state law compliance); and reduce the current 75‑foot setback from neighboring residences to 50 feet from occupiable structures. Councilmembers debated a proposed compromise—50 feet for the homeowner’s own residence but retaining 75 feet for neighboring occupiable structures—to balance owner convenience with neighbor protections. Several councilmembers emphasized enforcement through existing code‑enforcement standards that require sanitary and nuisance‑free conditions.
After discussion, a motion to adopt the ordinance as presented was seconded and passed on a recorded vote. Council clarified that code enforcement will respond to complaints (including odors or unsanitary conditions) and that enforcement focuses on cleanliness and sanitary care rather than trying to measure odor scientifically.
The ordinance will return for ministerial steps required by the town code (waiver of second reading, reading by title was discussed during the meeting), and staff will provide guidance on enforcement procedures and public education for animal owners.
What this means: Residents may keep more backyard hens and rabbits subject to the updated setback and sanitary rules; neighbors retain a code‑enforcement path to address nuisance or unsanitary conditions.
