[HISTORY: Adopted by Common Council of City of North Tonawanda 10-3-1989. Amendments
noted where applicable.]
The raising of pigeons in the City of North Tonawanda shall
not be for any commercial purposes but maintained solely for a hobby
or sport activity. No person shall keep, maintain or harbor any pigeons
within the city except upon the conditions set forth in this chapter.
A.Â
Pigeons
shall be kept in a suitable house or coop. There shall be at least
one square foot of floor space in any loft or house in which pigeons
are kept for each such pigeon kept therein.
B.Â
The
maximum number of pigeons housed or harbored shall not exceed 75 for
plots of 1/4 acre or less, 100 for plots exceeding 1/4 acre but less
than one acre in area and a maximum of 200 pigeons for plots of one
acre or more.
A.Â
No
pigeon house or loft shall be constructed except within the rear yard
of a premises, and said lofts or houses shall be erected and maintained
in an aesthetically pleasing manner and shall be suitably screened
from view by a fence or by shrubs, unless said loft or house is located
in such a manner as not to be visible from the surrounding streets.
In no event shall said loft or house be located less than five feet
from any lot line or less than 15 feet from an adjoining residence.
B.Â
If
the location of a loft or house existing on the date this ordinance
becomes effective fails to meet the requirements of this ordinance,
it may be maintained as a nonconforming use. In the event that a nonconforming
loft or house is enlarged or rebuilt after being substantially destroyed,
said renovated or enlarged loft must meet all requirements of this
ordinance.
All pigeons must be kept securely confined in lofts or houses
except during exercise periods or when returning home from a training
toss or race, in which event they must be secured as soon as is reasonably
possible. Said exercise periods may not exceed a total time of two
hours prior to 11:00 a.m. of any weekday and not more than two hours
after 5:00 p.m. of any weekday. On weekends and legal holidays, said
exercise periods may not exceed one hour before 11:00 a.m. of any
such day and one hour after 5:00 p.m. of any such day.
The lofts or houses in which such pigeons are kept must be cleaned
regularly and at least once each day or at least always maintained
in a sanitary manner and free of offensive odors. Pigeon refuse and
pigeon feed must be stored in metal containers, with metal covers,
or in rodent-proof containers, securely closed.
A.Â
Any
person housing or harboring pigeons must obtain a permit from the
City Clerk. No permit shall be issued to any person convicted of a
violation of this ordinance. Any person housing or harboring pigeons
on the effective date of this ordinance must obtain a permit pursuant
to this section.
C.Â
Said
permit must be renewed annually. The fee for said permit and each
renewal thereof shall be $10.
D.Â
If
any person is convicted of a violation of this ordinance, said permit
shall be revoked.
A violation of any provision of this ordinance shall be subject
to a fine not to exceed $250 for each offense or imprisonment for
not more than 15 days for each offense, or both fine and imprisonment.
Each and every day in which a violation of any provision of this chapter
exists shall constitute a separate violation.
The provisions hereof shall be considered separable, and if
any portion hereof is declared invalid, such declaration of invalidity
shall not affect any other portion.
This ordinance shall become effective on the day after publication
in the official newspaper of the City of North Tonawanda.