Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Animal Ordinance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Planning commission recommends denial of rezoning to allow chickens and ponies at Johnson Road property
Summary
After extensive neighborhood testimony and questions about past code enforcement, the commission voted to recommend denial of a rezoning request to allow personal outside animals (chickens and ponies) at 2487/287 Johnson Road; the applicant said animals are for family use but neighbors cited persistent nuisance problems and past violations.
The Walton County Planning Commission on July 9 recommended denial of a rezoning request (Z26-0158) seeking to change a Johnson Road property from R-1 to A-1 to allow personal outside animals, including chickens and ponies.
Applicant Samiris Ortiz, speaking through an interpreter, said she sought the rezoning to keep chickens and a pair of ponies for family use and that the birds were not intended for sale. Ortiz said she had some roosters but described them as nonfighting and decorative. “I only want the opportunity to keep my animals so my family can be happy,” she told the commission.
Neighbors gave sustained, specific opposition. Lawrence Bowman, who lives next door, said he had counted as many as 50 chickens last year, that the chicken coop remained in the neighbor’s yard and that prior code-enforcement visits had occurred; he said birds crowed day and night and described trash and maintenance issues. Ryan Nesbitt and Ralph Marvin Nesbitt recounted ongoing disturbances, alleged failures in code enforcement follow-up and concerns that property values would decline if the use were allowed.
Commissioners reviewed the county’s UDO poultry section as part of the questioning; staff noted past code violations related to chickens but said there were no active cases after the applicant moved the birds off the property. The UDO language cited in the hearing states that roosters and other crowing chickens are prohibited in certain contexts; a commissioner noted Ortiz reported multiple roosters, which the commission said raised compliance concerns.
A commissioner moved to deny the rezoning request, citing multiple apparent zoning violations and the number of animals present relative to the existing R-1 zoning; the motion was seconded and carried by voice vote. The commission’s recommendation to deny will be forwarded to the Walton County Board of Commissioners on Aug. 4 for final consideration.
The hearing record includes detailed neighbor testimony and references to prior enforcement activity; the commission’s denial recommendation was based on the combination of neighborhood impact concerns and apparent noncompliance with poultry restrictions in the UDO.
