October 16, 2015 • Seaside Signal • seasidesignal.com • 7A
Latest Seaside lodging plan is ‘for the birds’
Local ordinance
currently bans keeping
poultry within city limits
By Katherine Lacaze
Seaside Signal
A local resident believes
there is a way to allow hens
inside city limits without
the safety, smell, noise and
neighborhood disputes.
Jennifer Barrett, towner
of Hens’ Lodging Inc., peti-
tioned Seaside City Council
to amend the city’s chicken
ban to make an allowance
for hens, provided they are
contained in chicken trac-
tors or similar structures.
The tractor is a bot-
tomless, movable chicken
“run” and nesting con-
struction designed for a
few hens. “Incorporating
this concept into the ordi-
nance will solve any and
all problems that may have
been faced by the city,” she
said at the Sept. 28 council
meeting.
A city ordinance reg-
ulating nuisances states
residents cannot keep
poultry — as well as live-
stock, bees and other an-
imals, except household
pets — within city limits,
unless authorized by City
Council for educational or
entertainment
purposes.
The ordinance has been
on the books “since he can
remember,” City Manager
Mark Winstanley said.
Citizens have brought
requests to the city asking
for a change that would al-
low chickens, but nothing
came of them, Winstanley
said.
Chickens are allowed in
other jurisdictions along the
coast, including Astoria,
Warrenton, Gearhart and
Cannon Beach.
During a meeting Sept.
28, Barrett presented before
City Council, sharing what
she believes are the exist-
ing problems with chickens
in Seaside; the concept of
the chicken tractor; and the
idea of her company exper-
imenting with tractors at a
few locations.
The problem
with chickens
Among the existing
problems, Barrett cited
ground and aerial preda-
tors, from dogs and cats to
hawks and eagles; chick-
ens roosting in neighbors’
yards; chickens damaging
landscaping; chickens wan-
dering in streets; neigh-
bors being bothered by the
stench from droppings in
coops or the noise; and at-
tracting rats, raccoons or
other rodents with open
containers of food and wa-
ter.
Chicken tractors could
help solve these problems
while still allowing resi-
dents to keep chickens as
pets or a source of nutri-
tion, Barrett said. Chicken
tractors contain the hens
and are impenetrable, pro-
tecting chickens from both
ground and aerial preda-
tors. Barrett proposed only
allowing hens, which ad-
dresses the noise problem.
The structures are bot-
tomless, so droppings go
to the ground, and hens
scratch it into the ground,
tilling and fertilizing soil.
Upon moving the tractor
to the next area, the ground
under the tractor is ready to
plant, if so desired, Barrett
said. Because they are safe
from predators and have
semi-free range — within
WKHFRQ¿QHVRIWKHPRYDEOH
coop — the chickens tend
to be happier.
“They are free to do
what they enjoy,” she said.
Testing the idea
Through her compa-
ny, Barrett would like to
place two tractors within
KATHERINE LACAZE/SEASIDE SIGNAL
Jennifer Barrett, owner of Hens’ Lodging Inc., petitioned Seaside City Council to allow residents to keep hens within city
limits, an activity currently banned under the city’s nuisance ordinance. Barrett advocates for the city to incorporate chicken
tractors, or other movable, bottomless structures, suitable for about four chickens, into the ordinance.
city limits to experiment
and demonstrate the use
of the chicken tractor con-
cept. One tractor would
be placed at the Seaside
American Legion Post 99
park area, where the Sea-
side Farmers Market oc-
curs. The American Legion
agreed to the idea, as long
as the city approves. The
second location would be
at the Railroad Park Com-
munity Garden near U.S.
Highway 101.
The chicken tractor
concept, Barrett told City
Council members, “will
make it possible for citi-
zens of Seaside to enjoy
chickens.”
Additionally, it may en-
courage more people to use
their yard space for grow-
ing gardens. Barrett feels
the country is not in a state
where citizens “can afford
luxury right now, and lawns
are a luxury.” Communi-
ties should focus on “the
idea of feeding each other
and feeding ourselves,” she
Dining
on
the
said. Chickens can lay the
groundwork for personal
gardens is a step in the right
direction.
Her company, Hens’
Lodging Inc., is a whole-
sale distributor of chicken
tractors and similar mov-
able coops. Whether people
purchased structures from
her, another distributor or
built them personally, she
advocates their use.
“The concept is the best
way to have chickens in
your backyard,” she said.
“There are just so many
pluses about it.”
The council members
did not discuss the ordi-
nance or Barrett’s petition
at the meeting after her
presentation. Unless City
Council requests an ordi-
nance change or decides to
further the conversation, it
will not be discussed at a
future meeting, Winstanley
said.
“At this point, no one
has said anything to me,”
he said.
North Coast
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M E X IC A N R E S T A U R A N T
KATHERINE LACAZE/SEASIDE SIGNAL
Lifeguard Lindsey Wolfe watches over the Sunset Pool from a
new lifeguard stand, installed during the Sunset Empire Park
& Recreation District’s annual maintenance, completed from
Sept. 19 to 27. The pool reopened Sept. 28.
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S C R EEN TV
Women’s locker, shower
room get makeovers
both bodies of water, the
lap pool and warm-water
pool, at one time.
District staff did most of
the work, including paint-
By Katherine Lacaze
ing and power-washing.
Seaside Signal
The women’s bathroom
The Sunset Pool cleaned project cost about $17,000
up its act during its recent and the district contracted
annual maintenance shut- with a company in Port-
down. The pool, part of the land.
District staff originally
Sunset Empire Park & Rec-
reation District, was closed estimated the maintenance
from Sept. 19 through 27 would take two weeks to
while staff members thor- complete and set a reopen-
oughly cleaned and painted ing date of Oct. 5. Since the
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the facility.
“We try to keep it from pool reopened a week earli-
showing signs of age and er, Sept. 28.
Archibald said he did not
wear, like putting founda-
tion over wrinkles,” exec- receive complaints about
utive director Skyler Ar- the facility being closed to
patrons during the annual
chibald said.
Most importantly, the maintenance shutdown.
“We try to schedule it at
women’s shower and lock-
HU URRP JRW QHZ ÀRRULQJ a time when it will impact
and grates so water from as few people as possible,”
the shower drains properly, Archibald said. Most pa-
Archibald said. In the past, trons, he added, “under-
water from the showers stand there’s just certain
would puddle in areas in things we can’t do when
the bathroom. Staff sopped we’re open. This is a nec-
it up several times per day essary thing we have to do
to prevent sanitary issues, to keep the place looking
“but it was unsightly,” Ar- nice.”
The swim team was not
chibald said. The area also
got new partition walls and meeting and there were no
swim classes scheduled
toilets.
A new, taller lifeguard during the second half of
stand was positioned so the September. Programming
person on duty can oversee resumed last week.
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