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<br />
<br />To: Chair Bollis and Planning Commission Members
<br /> Adam Edwards, City Administrator
<br />
<br />From: Matthew Karney, Planner
<br />
<br />Date: 21 April 2025
<br />
<br />Subject: LA25-000014, Revisions to City Code regarding the Keeping of Animals in Residential
<br />Districts
<br />
<br />
<br />Background
<br />On February 18, 2025, the Planning Commission reviewed a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) application,
<br />LA24-000066, for the keeping of farm animals (pigeons) on a property within the LR-1A zoning district.
<br />In their recommendation to the City Council, Planning Commission included a motion to research
<br />standards and language for potential text amendments regarding the keeping of animals in residential
<br />districts. Within this report Staff will provide additional information to facilitate a discussion regarding
<br />the pertinent City Codes: Chapter 62: Animals and Chapter 78: Zoning Regulations.
<br />
<br />Orono City Code Definitions: Animals and Farm Animals:
<br />The use of the terms: “animal”, “farm animal”, and “domestic animal” throughout the Code are
<br />inconsistent, and are often used interchangeably, making the regulations unclear.
<br />
<br />Chapter 62, Section 62-1 Definitions:
<br />Animals are defined as “farm animals and all other animals, reptiles and feathered birds or
<br />fowl except dogs, domestic cats, gerbils, hamsters and caged household birds”.
<br />
<br />Farm Animals are defined as “cattle, horses, mules, sheep, goats, swine, ponies, ducks, geese,
<br />turkeys, chickens, guinea hens and honeybees”.
<br />
<br />Chapter 78, Section 78-1 Definitions:
<br />Agriculture means the utilization of land by raising plants, trees or shrubs or the raising of
<br />domestic animals or fowl, or both, for the purposes of selling to secure a profit.
<br />
<br />Animal unit means, for one animal unit equivalency, one cow or steer; one horse, donkey
<br />alpaca, or llama; two pigs, three sheep or goats; or 25 fowl.
<br />
<br />Farm animals means cattle, horses, mules, sheep, goats, llamas, alpacas, swine, ponies,
<br />ducks, geese, turkeys, chickens or guinea hens.
<br />
<br />Animals as a Land Use
<br />The district regulations within Chapter 78 specify which zoning districts allow farm animals as an
<br />accessory or conditional use. Rural Residential districts (RR-1A andRR-1B) allow farm animals as
<br />accessory uses; and within the Lakeshore Residential districts (LR-1A, LR-1B, LR-1C, and LR-1C-1) farm
<br />animals are allowed as a conditional use. Within the RS- Seasonal Recreation district (Big Island and
<br />Deering Island) the keeping of “domestic animals” is allowed conditionally.
<br />
<br />
<br />Application Summary: Discuss potential revisions to the City Code regarding Animals.
<br />Staff Recommendation: Review the information and provide guidance to Staff for next steps.
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