Cleveland's getting ready to legalize chickens and bees

See "City Chicken," from Cleveland Scene. From the article:

If you're already raising chickens or bees in Cleveland, you're probably breaking the law. Any hive or coop is supposed to be at least 100 feet from adjoining properties. City Planning Director Bob Brown notes, "It would be almost impossible to find a residential lot that would allow you to place a coop or hive that far from your neighbor's property."

The new law would change that, requiring just 5 feet of side setback and 18 inches of rear setback for coops and hives. But there are new constraints too: The law would limit the number of chickens to one per 800 square feet of property (that's six chickens for the average 4,800-square-foot lot) and one beehive per 2,400 square feet. Roosters would get the boot completely unless you've got a full acre. ("It's not gender discrimination," says Brown. "They tend to be noisier than their female colleagues.")

Perhaps the most contentious changes: licensing and building department requirements, lot diagramming and new fees to pay for the added oversight. Brown says, however, that if coops are kept smaller than 8 feet high and 30 feet square, building fees can be waived. But there still would be a permit fee of around $40.

The New York Times had an article about a "wild" turkey in Manhattan. It disappeared before Thanksgiving though... and they have covered city poultry issues in the past, such as "A Chicken on Every Plot, a Coop in Every Backyard."

A chicken crosses South Massachusetts Street at Rainier Avenue South (in Seattle) against the light Friday, temporarily holding up traffic. One possible reason the chicken crossed the road during lunch time was it was looking for its own lunch. It made the crossing at least three times before sitting down in the shade of a tree on the sidewalk. Ken Lambert, Seattle Times.