[ocba] citation CH bees as livestock

Becky Bollinger beckyalis at gmail.com
Tue May 20 10:29:47 EDT 2008


I was interviewed for the /Carrboro Free Press/ last week, they are 
doing a bee theme. She inquired about the legality of whether or not it 
was ok to keep bees in the Carrboro and Chapel Hill town limits. The 
Carrboro police told me they found nothing in their ordinances that said 
you couldn't and based on the responses I got on here it seems ok to 
keep them in Chapel Hill. One member said that she called the Chapel 
Hill police and they told her it was fine as long as the neighbors did 
not complain. To be safe I sent the reporter the links to the Chapel 
Hill  & Carrboro town ordinances so she could look them over herself.
Thanks for all the input,
Becky



Elisabeth Curtis wrote:
> Having just been involved in a public hearing involving chickens in 
> Carrboro, I am pretty certain that Carrboro's ordinances are different 
> from Chapel Hill's and that at least with regard to chickens, both 
> Chapel Hill and Durham wants to change theirs to be more like 
> Carrboro's more lenient ordinances. That said, I must admit I have not 
> searched the appropriate ordinances. Do we know what prompted the 
> inquiry? -Elisabeth
>
> On Tue, May 20, 2008 at 8:25 AM, Jane Dunlap <janedunlap at bellsouth.net 
> <mailto:janedunlap at bellsouth.net>> wrote:
>
>     Lanette -- Here's the citation -- Jane
>
>     Everyone knows there is always some below the radar activity. I
>     know a man
>     who kept a pet rooster for a year or so who roamed a fairly densely
>     populated older neighborhood and was welcomed by most of the
>     neighbors. If
>     the neighbors don't mind and the hive isn't in a place easily
>     investigated
>     by curious children or pets ...
>
>     Glad I live in the country :-)
>
>     http://www.townofchapelhill.org/DocumentView.asp?DID=519
>
>     Appendix A, Definitiions
>
>     Agriculture, livestock: The use of land for the keeping, grazing,
>     feeding,
>     or breeding of
>     livestock, including cattle, hogs, sheep, goats, and poultry, and also
>     animal specialties such as
>     horses, breeding of livestock, including cattle, hogs, sheep,
>     goats, and
>     poultry, and also animal
>     specialties such as horses, rabbits, bees, and fish and
>     fur-bearing animals
>     in captivity.
>
>
>     -----Original Message-----
>     From: ocba-bounces at lists.ibiblio.org
>     <mailto:ocba-bounces at lists.ibiblio.org>
>     [mailto:ocba-bounces at lists.ibiblio.org
>     <mailto:ocba-bounces at lists.ibiblio.org>]On Behalf Of
>     ocba-request at lists.ibiblio.org <mailto:ocba-request at lists.ibiblio.org>
>     Sent: Monday, May 19, 2008 1:21 PM
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>     Subject: ocba Digest, Vol 38, Issue 14
>
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>     Today's Topics:
>
>       1. Re: bees in CH/CBO city limits (Lanette  Fee)
>
>
>     ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>     Message: 1
>     Date: Mon, 19 May 2008 00:10:45 -0400
>     From: "Lanette  Fee" <fee at sprintmail.com <mailto:fee at sprintmail.com>>
>     Subject: Re: [ocba] bees in CH/CBO city limits
>     To: <ocba at lists.ibiblio.org <mailto:ocba at lists.ibiblio.org>>
>     Message-ID: <7194AC4D58F1432FB7B1526872F3AFBB at TheFeesPC>
>     Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
>            reply-type=original
>
>     Dear All,
>        I have read the part Jane referenced, but I disagree with this
>     interpretation of the ordinances.  There are other sections that
>     deal more
>     specifically with animals, large and small, pet and livestock.  See...
>
>     http://www.municode.com/resources/gateway.asp?sid=33&pid=19952
>     <http://www.municode.com/resources/gateway.asp?sid=33&pid=19952>
>
>        Bees are not designated as livestock in the codes I found.  If
>     we look
>     at chapter 4 (Animals and Animal Control) in the link above, there
>     is a
>     discussion of horses, cows, goats, swine, and sheep which
>     indicates that you
>     are required to have more than 4 acres to have one of these and
>     there is no
>     reference to specific land use areas designated for this.
>      Chickens are
>     definitely livestock and you are allowed to house up to 20
>     chickens within
>     the city limits under certain conditions (i.e., cleanliness,
>     noncommercial
>     use only, noise level not a nuisance to neighbors, can't run at
>     large within
>     the town limits).  Rabbits are discussed - you can't sell them
>     less than 60
>     days of age and you can't dye them (or baby chicks) for sale.
>      (Who on Earth
>     would want to dye them?  The things some people will do!)
>        There is no mention of bees at all.  But, there is discussion
>     of many
>     other livestock.
>        I did a search in the link in Jane's message and could not find
>     specific
>     mention of bees or bees being classified as livestock.  Jane,
>     could you
>     point me to the right section, please?  I must have been delinquent in
>     finding it.  All I found was a table that had Agriculture:
>     Livestock v.
>     Non-Livestock where I found the districts you mention, but nothing
>     other
>     than that.
>        How many hives constitues someone conducting "Agriculture? "   My
>     interpretation of this would be that the zoning maps indicate
>     residential v.
>     business use and  I agree that beekeeping as a business is
>     agriculture.
>     And, I also agree that a couple of hundred hives downtown might
>     not be such
>     a good idea.  But I think that a few hives would fall under the
>     animal and
>     animal control ordinances rather than the business v. residential
>     ordinances.  The chickens are a good example where a few for
>     noncommercial
>     purposes are allowed.
>        What do you think?
>     Lanette Fee
>
>     ----- Original Message -----
>     From: "Jane Dunlap" <janedunlap at bellsouth.net
>     <mailto:janedunlap at bellsouth.net>>
>     To: <ocba at lists.ibiblio.org <mailto:ocba at lists.ibiblio.org>>
>     Sent: Sunday, May 18, 2008 8:59 AM
>     Subject: Re: [ocba] bees in CH/CBO city limits
>
>
>     > The ordinances for both towns are a bit dense, but Chapel Hill
>     classifies
>     > bees as 'livestock,' which can only be kept in a few low-density
>     zoning
>     > districts: R-LD5, RT, MH. Carrboro doesn't specifically mention
>     bees that
>     > I
>     > could find, but goes on about how non-pets must be kept on the
>     owner's
>     > property and x distance from property lines. So it seems that
>     neither town
>     > is bee-friendly. Probably best to check with someone at Town
>     Hall before
>     > installing a hive.
>     >
>     > You can't keep elephants in Carrboro, either.
>     >
>     >  -- Jane
>     >
>     >
>     > See CH land use matrix here:
>     >
>     > http://www.townofchapelhill.org/DocumentView.asp?DID=521
>     >
>     > and a zoning map here:
>     >
>     > http://www.townofchapelhill.org/DocumentView.asp?DID=1669
>     >
>     > -----Original Message-----
>     > From: ocba-bounces at lists.ibiblio.org
>     <mailto:ocba-bounces at lists.ibiblio.org>
>     > [mailto:ocba-bounces at lists.ibiblio.org
>     <mailto:ocba-bounces at lists.ibiblio.org>]On Behalf Of
>     > ocba-request at lists.ibiblio.org
>     <mailto:ocba-request at lists.ibiblio.org>
>     > Sent: Saturday, May 17, 2008 1:21 PM
>     > To: ocba at lists.ibiblio.org <mailto:ocba at lists.ibiblio.org>
>     > Subject: ocba Digest, Vol 38, Issue 12
>     >
>     >
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>     >
>     >
>     > Today's Topics:
>     >
>     >   1. Bees in a tree (David Langham)
>     >   2. Re: QUESTION (Randall Austin)
>     >
>     >
>     >
>     ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>     >
>     > Message: 1
>     > Date: Fri, 16 May 2008 16:49:02 -0400
>     > From: David Langham <david_langham at hotmail.com
>     <mailto:david_langham at hotmail.com>>
>     > Subject: [ocba] Bees in a tree
>     > To: ocba listserv <ocba at lists.ibiblio.org
>     <mailto:ocba at lists.ibiblio.org>>
>     > Message-ID: <BLU105-W36347F7284ADBF9AC8A58F8EC80 at phx.gbl>
>     > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="windows-1252"
>     >
>     >
>     > All,
>     > Michael Pettiford has bees in a hole in a tree.  The hole is
>     ground level
>     > and might be easily accessible via bee-vac.  His number is 923-3577.
>     > Happy Beekeeping!
>     > David
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>     > ------------------------------
>     >
>     > Message: 2
>     > Date: Fri, 16 May 2008 17:17:52 -0400
>     > From: Randall Austin <ra41717 at gmail.com <mailto:ra41717 at gmail.com>>
>     > Subject: Re: [ocba] QUESTION
>     > To: Becky Bollinger <beckyalis at gmail.com
>     <mailto:beckyalis at gmail.com>>
>     > Cc: "Orange County, NC Beekeepers" <ocba at lists.ibiblio.org
>     <mailto:ocba at lists.ibiblio.org>>
>     > Message-ID: <482DFA00.7050900 at gmail.com
>     <mailto:482DFA00.7050900 at gmail.com>>
>     > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>     >
>     > Becky,
>     >
>     > The Chapel Hill town ordinances can be found here:
>     > http://www.municode.com/resources/gateway.asp?sid=33&pid=19952
>     <http://www.municode.com/resources/gateway.asp?sid=33&pid=19952>
>     >
>     > The Carrboro ordinances can be found here:
>     > http://www.ci.carrboro.nc.us/TC/towncode.htm
>     >
>     > I'm not a lawyer & may have overlooked something, but it doesn't
>     appear
>     > to me that either Chapel Hill or Carrboro have any restrictions
>     > whatsoever on keeping honey bees. Note that by their own specific
>     > definitions, their animal control statutes only include
>     vertebrates so
>     > don't cover honey bees.
>     >
>     > However you should be aware that in Carrboro, it is specifically
>     against
>     > the law to possess a camel.
>     >
>     > Randall
>     >
>     > Becky Bollinger wrote:
>     >> Does anyone know if it is legal to keep bees within Chapel Hill and
>     >> Carrboro town limits?
>     >> Thanks,
>     >> Becky
>     >>
>     >>
>
>
>
>     ------------------------------
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