Bellevue City Council wants to control noisy roosters
February 2, 2013 · Updated 9:25 PM
A plea to do something about a noisy rooster prompted the Bellevue the City Council on Monday to have staff draft a proposal limiting ownership of them and peacocks and peahens. The latter two are noted for their alarming screams.
The ban on roosters would be consistent with ordinances in many neighboring cities. Bellevue’s code would likely continue to allow residents to own up to six hens or ducks, geese and swans of either gender.
The problem started in September when a family in Northeast Bellevue complained about a neighbor’s rooster, which reportedly crowed loud enough to disturb homes several blocks away. It crowed both day and night. Code compliance officers worked with the bird’s owner to prevent nighttime crowing.
However, the resident then asked the council to ban roosters, noting that the episode in the fall was not the first time a rooster had troubled the neighborhood. The city’s code does not prohibit ownership of noisy fowl such as roosters and peafowl.
The council voted 5-2 for the staff to draft a code amendment, which would be go first to the Planning Commission and be subject to a public hearing before going to the council.
John Chelminiak, who voted against the motion, noted that such proposals ruffled feathers in other cities.
Comment on this story.
So keep your comments:
- Civil
- Smart
- On-topic
- Free of profanity
We ask that all participants own their words by logging in with their Facebook account. It's a simple process that will take seconds and helps keep our comments free of trolls, cranks, and “drive-by” commenters. We reserve the right to remove comments from anyone using screen names, pseudonyms or false identities. Please refer to our Terms of Use for full detail on participating on our site.
