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Resident urges Fielding to review beekeeping rules after neighbor's hives swarm cul-de-sac
Summary
Resident Shari Gleeson told the council a neighbor’s roughly 20 hives have created a local nuisance — stinging incidents and limiting yard use — and said the county apiarist (UDAF process) issued a 15-day notice; the council agreed to review nuisance rules and follow up if state action is insufficient.
During public comments, resident Shari Gleeson (S5) urged the Fielding Town Council to examine local zoning and regulations covering backyard beekeeping after a neighbor’s large number of hives caused stinging incidents and limited outdoor activity in a cul-de-sac.
“I’m just wondering if down the road when you look at some of your zoning regulations, you might wanna look at, beekeeping and how many hives are allowed on per acre,” S5 told the council, describing an instance in which about 20 hives had led to neighbors being unable to use a trampoline and a homeowner being stung in the face.
S5 said she contacted the county apiarist and that the operator received a 15-day notice to comply with UDAF regulations. Council members advised her to pursue nuisance remedies if state action did not resolve the problem. Council members discussed nuisance law as the likely local enforcement path and agreed to look into applicable local ordinance options and follow up if county or state enforcement did not lead to compliance.
The council did not enact a local ordinance during the meeting; members said staff would research nuisance-law options and regulatory gaps for future consideration and follow up with the resident.
