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Resident Anita McDonald urges enforcement after neighbor’s pigs, goats cause odors and insects
Summary
At the June 24 Delhi Township trustees meeting Anita McDonald described persistent odors, flies and animal waste from a neighbor’s property and said she and her husband are suffering stress; community development staff said the owner will submit a compliance plan and the Health Department is monitoring the site.
Anita McDonald, a Delhi Township resident, told trustees on June 24 that animals on neighboring property owned by Joan Gillespie have produced strong odors, flies and piles of feces that she said drift onto nearby yards.
"So, can she keep these stinking animals on a farm in our residential area?" McDonald asked the board, saying pigs, goats and likely chickens were creating an unsanitary condition and that she had photographs documenting piles of feces covered with straw and standing green water.
The complaint prompted a township staff explanation of enforcement steps. Tony Roach of the Community Development Department said his office observed zoning violations on the Gillespie property, described two miniature pigs as pets rather than farm livestock, and said the owner would submit a plan this week to move pens away from property lines and bring the property into compliance. Roach said the Hamilton County Health Department is monitoring the property and can visit the site directly.
Why it matters: residents raised health, nuisance and quality-of-life concerns tied to animals kept adjacent to residential yards. McDonald urged faster action after describing repeated contacts and what she said was a curt response from a township inspector.
Trustees and the police chief urged neighbors to call police when confrontations occur. The police chief said officers could mediate neighbor disputes, but that formal zoning enforcement and possible abatement are handled through community development and the township’s code process.
What happens next: Roach told the board the owner must file permit applications and a plan; staff said they work in short-term increments and will set inspections and follow-up dates rather than allowing the full multi-month schedule that applies to standard permits. Trustees offered to meet with McDonald and her husband to review the enforcement timeline.
The meeting did not record a formal motion on the Gillespie property; trustees directed staff to follow the zoning process and work with the county health department.
