Caught Between an Asshole Neighbor and a Power-Crazed City Government
This isn’t exactly an earthshaking matter, but it sure pissed me off when I saw it on the news last night. In Clyde Hill, King County (east of Seattle), Linda Boyd and her son bought three hens to keep on their half-acre property. They made great pets, plus:
“We were very interested in organic food and farming practices.”
Most of the neighbors didn’t mind, but the yuppie scum next door, Matt Simmons, complained to the city. He’s trying to sell his house, and said:
“Let me put it this way. I don't think it would be something that would be a selling point.”
Linda Boyd thought her neighbor’s complaint wouldn’t go anywhere, since the city of Clyde Hill, since its founding, has always complied with the King County code, which allows people to have chickens on their property.
So the city government of Clyde Hill — urgent priority here! — amended its municipal code. Clyde Hill residents are hereby NOT allowed to keep chickens on their property.
The city manager — who isn't named in the article and didn't have the 'nads to be interviewed — claims they didn’t change the rules in the ninth inning, as they were accused of doing; they simply “clarified” the law.
It’s hard to say who’s more contemptible: a self-centered shitwad whose biggest problem is the fact that the next door neighbor has three chickens; or a sleazy government official who changes the rules in the middle of the game and won’t even admit it.
Since recall elections are so popular these days, maybe the residents of Clyde Hill could “clarify” their views by recalling the assholes at city hall.
posted by Tom Harper @ 11:00 AM
10 Comments:
Whatever happened to that whole big government thing people don't want. It would be curious to see who the neighbor knows in city hall for this to happen so quickly.
Oh, like those chickens *aren't* being readied for a career as a suicide fowl.
Heh! And, what Jess said! The yuppie scum had to have held some kind of sway. Maybe he had photos of the unnamed/uninterviewed city manager in a compromising position with a chicken? Or with some other nadless person in city government?
Hi,
It's Linda here. I don't know whether the neighbor interviewed on the news made a complaint or not. The woman at the city desk said it was an "anonymous tip."
I've been collecting more signatures in support of chickens and have found all my neighbors to be decent people who care about their community. I haven't gone to see Matt because I'm afraid of his dog.
I hope that people won't engage in ugly name-calling, as it makes me seem a little unfriendly by association.
Thank you for your support,
Linda
What a lousy thing to do to a neighbor. Maybe Boyd doesn't count as a neighbor to Simmons because he's moving away.
I could understand an ordinance limiting the number of chickens a town resident can have. City and suburb dwellers shouldn't have to live hard up against a commercial chicken ranch, especially if it didn't exist when they moved in. But two or three chickens is a long way from that.
Pettiness and selfishness is what's going on here, and the city manager is guilty of it as the anonymous complainer.
Similar things are also happening in the city Berkeley but in their case it was because people bought Roosters. As someone who has raised chickens, I can tell you city slickers that its a myth that Roosters crow at Dawn. They usually start at about Oh 3am and go till evening.
But when I saw the Linda got rid of the Rooster, well Chickens are fairly quiet (quieter then dogs.
Of course in our situation as our Neighborhood went upscale the new Neighbors complained and one morning we found a few mutilated.
Erik
It's worth putting supportive comments on the KING 5 site, let them know the story has legs: http://www.king5.com/news/local/High-end-homes-and-backyard-chickens-clash-in-Clyde-Hill-121429164.html?commentPage=0#comments
Here's the chicken petition: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/chickens-in-clyde-hill/signatures?page=1
If she has a rooster I'd help the guy shoot it myself. Chicken dinners make a great Sunday meal.
Erik is right they crow from the AM till evening. My friend lived next-door to one.
Jess: I agree, whoever made that complaint must be pretty well-connected.
Randal: Hopefully their suicides will be in the distant future.
Snave: LOL. Incriminating photos of the city manager, that'll git her done.
Linda: Thanks for stopping by. I wish you luck in your battle with city hall. I signed the petition and left a comment at the King5 site.
SW: I can see certain limits, but not an outright ban. And if the city does go ahead and ban chickens from people's yards, the very least they should do is establish a "grandfather" clause for people who have already had chickens and understood they were in compliance with the law.
Erik: I've heard that about roosters. But if they're gonna ban chickens, they might as well ban dogs, car alarms, people talking loudly after 10 p.m., etc.
Demeur: Nope, just hens, no rooster.
ha,and you want more governmnet?
There's a laugh for you.
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