Prohibited unless otherwise permitted.[1] No person shall breed, raise, harbor or maintain any bees,
poultry, chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese or any other fowl, or any
swine, horses, mules, goats or any other animals or reptiles except
domesticated pets within this Village unless specifically authorized
in any other provision of this Municipal Code.
Any animals, birds, reptiles or fish customarily kept in
or about the home or place of residence which are not vicious, dangerous,
or otherwise obnoxious, objectionable or offensive.
Preexisting use; exception. Any person legally keeping
domestic animals or fowl at the effective date of this chapter may
continue to do so; provided, however, that such animals or fowl are
kept in a clean and sanitary manner, that they do not constitute a
nuisance, and that the keeping thereof shall be limited to the area
presently in use.
In addition to the limitations imposed by the accessory use requirements, the number of chickens shall be limited to the minimum necessary square footage for humane treatment as set forth in Subsection D(2) herein.
Livestock and fowl in residential zones are allowed only for
domestic use or consumption and shall not be raised, sold, or bartered
for commercial purposes.
Property owners who wish to keep chickens on their property must
apply for a chicken-keeping license from the Building Inspector, or
his/her designee, good for one year.
The Building Inspector, or his/her designee, may deny the permit
for failure to meet any of the requirements set forth below, or for
other public health, safety and welfare reasons related to the application
or the property, or on the basis of prior violations of this section
by the applicant.
In the event an application for a permit is denied by the Building
Inspector, or his/her designee, the applicant may appeal to the Zoning
Board of Appeals within 30 days of such denial, setting forth the
grounds upon which the applicant believes that the application should
have been granted. The Zoning Board of Appeals shall approve or deny
the application on the same or other grounds related to the provisions
of this subsection, or the public health, safety and welfare within
90 days of the date that the appeal is filed.
All coops or related structures shall be subject to inspection
during and after their construction at reasonable times with reasonable
notice from the Building Inspector, or his/her designee;
Chicken feed and other materials associated with the keeping
of chickens will be kept in a tightly covered container so as to prevent
the attraction of rodents or other pests;
The chicken enclosure shall be constructed and maintained in
such a manner as will safely and securely house chickens and shall
be kept free of rodent infestation at all times;
Penalties. Violators of these provisions may be issued one warning
in lieu of being issued a violation, but the Village is not required
to give a warning as a prerequisite to issuing a violation. Penalties
for violations shall be set yearly by the Village Board at the yearly
reorganization meeting.
Chicken enclosures which predate the amendment of this section may be grandfathered from the size requirements of this subsection pending inspection and approval by the Building Inspector as soon as practicable following the enactment of the amendment of this section, provided the application required in Subsection D(3) and (4) of this section is submitted to the Village. Any enclosure that is grandfathered may not be enlarged in any respect and must be removed if damaged by more than 50% of its entire square footage.
A hive of bees which consists of fewer frames than a typical
hive and may be smaller in size. A nucleus usually consists of two
to five frames of comb and used primarily for starting new colonies
or rearing or storing queens; also called and commonly referred to
as a nuc.
All beekeepers must be residents of the Village of New Paltz and
register their hives with the Village Building Department on a form
prescribed by the Village Board of Trustees. There is no charge for
a one-time registration but all hives must be registered or residents
shall forfeit their right to maintain a hive(s) if not registered
within 60 days of placement.
For all other matters regarding bees and beekeeping the regulations
detailed in New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Division
of Plant Industry Circular 807 shall apply.
Penalties. Violators of this subsection may be issued one warning
in lieu of being issued a violation. However, the Village is not required
to give a warning as a prerequisite to issuing a violation. Penalties
for violations shall be set annually by resolution of the Village
Board of Trustees.
Beehives which predate the amendment of this section may be grandfathered from the requirements of this subsection pending inspection and approval by the Building Inspector as soon as practicable following the effective date of this subsection, provided that the registration form required in Subsection E(3) of this section is submitted to the Village within 60 days from the effective date of this subsection.
Any person violating any provision of this article shall be punished as provided in § 1-10 of this Municipal Code.