Jurupa Valley staff propose 'animal units' system to simplify equestrian and animal‑keeping rules

Jurupa Valley planning staff presented a study‑session outline of proposed updates to the city’s animal‑keeping, equestrian and agricultural standards, urging consolidation of rules and a new “animal unit” system to make regulations easier to understand and enforce.

Principal Planner Jim Pecos told the council the overhaul aims “to modernize and consolidate animal keeping rules citywide, strengthen the equestrian lifestyle protection overlay implementation, and clarify and make it easier to understand the rules.” As described by staff, the proposal would move disparate provisions into a single code section and apply consistent standards wherever animal keeping is allowed.

The centerpiece of the proposal is an animal‑unit approach that assigns a point value to species based on space, waste and activity: for example, horses and large livestock would equal 1.0 animal unit, poultry about 0.04, miniature pigs about 0.5, and beehives about 0.25. Under one staff example, a 1‑acre parcel capped at 10 animal units could host combinations such as six horses, 20 goats, 25 hens and four beehives. Pecos said those numeric caps are preliminary and open to council and community input.

The staff package also seeks to clarify how offspring are counted (with maturity thresholds such as poultry at six months and horses at 24 months), to revise setback requirements for animal structures on small lots, and to create a ministerial “minor animal permit” tied to best management practices and neighbor notification to allow flexibility beyond by‑right limits.

Public commenters at the study session largely urged the council to be more permissive. Amy Ortiz, a longtime resident and 4‑H volunteer, asked the council to increase the animal‑unit cap to 15 per acre so longstanding educational and charitable programs can continue. “Increasing the per‑acre animal units to 15 will support educational and charitable programs, and prevent the gradual erosion of the rural way of life this overlay is designed to protect,” Ortiz said. Multiple speakers who said they keep horses on sub‑acre lots asked that contiguous parcels under common ownership be treated as a single functional property, not strictly by lot lines.

Council members pressed staff for details such as the number of half‑acre versus 1‑acre parcels within the equestrian overlay, how private CC&Rs interact with city zoning (staff confirmed recorded CC&Rs may be more restrictive and continue to govern affected subdivisions), and whether to rely solely on animal units or keep both unit and species caps. Several council members signaled support for raising limits in some areas to accommodate smaller lots; one councilmember said a 15‑unit cap makes sense for compact equestrian lots.

Staff said it would bring revised tables, additional data on lot sizes and draft ordinance language back to the council in a month or two for further direction and possible ordinance preparation.

For now the study session provided a framework for draft code changes and a path forward: consolidation into one code section, adopt an animal‑unit system subject to numeric adjustments, clarify offspring counting and maturity thresholds, adjust setbacks for small and large lots, and create an administrative permit for limited flexibility. The council did not vote on any ordinance at the session; staff will return with refined proposals and community‑directed adjustments.