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Resident urges ban on roosters in high‑density zones; board weighs narrow ordinance and legal review
Summary
A Woodstock resident asked the Select Board to adopt an ordinance banning roosters in high‑density residential zoning to address persistent noise; board members debated scope, spot‑zoning concerns, enforceability and the need for legal advice before drafting a warned ordinance.
Resident Michael (speaker 14) asked the Select Board to adopt a narrowly tailored ordinance prohibiting roosters in high‑density residential zoning areas, citing repeated, intrusive crowing near his home. He proposed a 30‑day removal window on adoption and borrowed enforcement language from the existing dog ordinance.
Michael said the problem affects two compact neighborhoods and that neighbors had refused to remove the rooster. "These things can drag out," he said, urging the board to keep the ordinance simple and focused so it would be enforceable. Other residents and board members questioned whether a targeted ordinance would amount to spot zoning and warned that regulations must be enforceable with available resources.
Board members agreed to seek legal advice and to have staff review Michael's written proposal before placing any ordinance on a warned agenda for a future meeting. The board emphasized clarifying whether the rule would address roosters only, leaf blowers, or broader noise issues, and whether existing village ordinances already cover parts of the area.
