WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI — In a historically rural community about 10 miles from Ann Arbor, more residents could keep livestock on their properties if officials approve an ordinance change.
At its meeting on Wednesday, August 21, the Webster Township Planning Commission unanimously voted to schedule a public hearing on a draft amendment to the township ordinance regarding the keeping of animals for non-commercial purposes on September 18 at 7:00 p.m.
Under current municipal rules, residents are only allowed to keep livestock if their property is at least 2 acres in size. If the amendment passes, certain types and quantities of livestock would be allowed for non-commercial purposes on smaller properties zoned for farming, agribusiness or rural residential.
Read more: Washtenaw County’s order to remove livestock causes uproar
The revision of the municipal code was prompted by residents’ desire to keep livestock on smaller plots of land. A legal dispute, currently under appeal, arose after the municipality accused residents of a historic farm of keeping livestock on less than five hectares of land.
Read more: Judge sides with community in case involving livestock on historic farm in Washtenaw County
The municipality’s “intention,” according to the latest draft ordinance, is to allow the keeping of animals “in a manner that does not compromise public health, safety and general welfare and does not constitute a nuisance to the property in question or neighboring properties.”
Although Webster Township is rural, the township has also seen growth in housing construction, including subdivision.
Under the amended regulation, a maximum of five chickens would be allowed on properties with a net area of less than one acre.
On properties measuring one to 1.99 acres, five poultry animals – including chickens, turkeys, ducks and geese – and rabbits and a maximum of two small livestock such as sheep or goats may be kept per acre.
On properties measuring two to 4.99 acres, five poultry and rabbits per acre, two small livestock and a maximum of two large livestock such as cattle, bison, llamas and pigs may be kept per acre.
Adult roosters would not be allowed on properties smaller than 2 acres, and the ordinance amendment would ban all “vicious animals” and “wild or exotic animals” unless “permitted by a permit from a county, state or federal agency.”
While the allowances only apply to adult animals, additional young animals would be permitted until they reach sexual maturity.
The municipality would also enact regulations requiring that shelter and accommodation be available for the animals.
There could be exceptions. Residents could apply in writing to keep large livestock for educational purposes, such as 4H. In addition, the municipality could allow people on one to 4.99 acres to apply for a special permit for various animals if their property borders land that will not be developed, including conservation easements, public use lands, wildlife habitats or regulated wetlands.
The Planning Commission would review and approve such exceptions.
Some residents are concerned about how to determine how much of their property can be included in the total net area. In the current version of the draft, the minimum net area would exclude rights of way, private road access rights and wetlands or surface water on a property.
David Daily, a resident and Republican running for a seat on the township’s board of trustees, has had issues with the use of net acreage.
“We absolutely need to have the property line surveyed by a licensed surveyor,” Daily said at Wednesday’s meeting. “It costs about $2,000 for a licensed surveyor to check the net property area. That’s too much to ask of our residents.”
Sri Ravali Komaragiri, head of the municipality’s planning and zoning department, noted that residents can use the information on the county’s map website to check compliance.
“You don’t have to do a border survey,” Ravali Komaragiri said. “That remains an option only if we cannot agree or there are discrepancies with the available information.”
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