If you live in Comox and want to have your very own brood of backyard hens, here’s something to cluck about.
The town is looking at allowing urban agriculture and hen keeping on single-family properties.
Something similar is also being considered in Courtenay.
The town has launched a survey to seek input from residents and property owners on the subject.
It’s gauging levels of support, identify issues, and receive any concerns about:
- raising of hens for egg production,
- beekeeping (currently permitted via Bylaw 1988),
- sales of agricultural products from residential properties via farm stands, and
- construction of front yard greenhouses.
Your feedback will help inform the drafting of bylaws to permit urban agriculture and hen keeping.
You can link to the survey here.
Right now, agriculture is only a allowed use on agricultural zoned lands (the majority of which are in the Agricultural Land Reserve).
When it comes to urban agriculture, existing bylaws permit residents to:
- grow produce in gardens and raised beds anywhere on a residential lot;
- grow produce in greenhouses located only in the rear or side yard of a residential lot with a building permit;
- grow produce under a temporary covering which does not extend above plant height anywhere on a lot; and,
- keep no more than two colonies of bees on a residential lot. Under existing bylaws, the raising of livestock, and sales of agricultural products are only permitted on agricultural zoned lands.
