Old Agoura Residents Put in Their Place: 35 Feet From Corrals

A new Agoura Hills law will require that all new homes built in Old Agoura be at least 35 feet from animal pastures or corrals--unless the owners of the new homes sign a city statement that they do not object to animals’ being closer than that.

Under a grandfather clause, however, current residents can continue to keep animals even if the animals are closer than 35 feet from a home.

The City Council approved the new law Wednesday night by a 4-1 vote, with Councilman Ernest Dynda opposing the measure. Dynda said the requirement would unfairly prevent many new residents from keeping horses and other animals on their property.

The grandfather clause would apply to an estimated 300 residents of Old Agoura who own farm animals, homeowners’ representatives said. Old Agoura is the only part of Agoura Hills zoned for homes with non-domestic animals, they said.

Domestic Animals Unaffected

The city law applies to animals that could be farm animals--including horses, goats, cows and chickens, said Felicity Kidd, assistant to the city manager. It excludes cats, dogs, pet birds and other domestic animals, Kidd said.

The law is an attempt to settle a dispute between Old Agoura residents who own and raise farm animals and others who contend that farm animals owned by their neighbors cause odors, attract flies and are a health menace.

The City Council threw out a Los Angeles County health provision requiring that non-domestic animals be kept at least 35 feet from occupied dwellings. In practice, however, the health code provision had not been enforced.

The city’s zoning laws, which required as little as a 12-foot setback between a home and a neighboring property, were in conflict with the county health code, which had applied to Agoura Hills residents because the city signed a contract with the county to enforce the city’s health codes.

As the city grew and was subdivided, animal owners who were previously in compliance with the law suddenly found themselves next to new housing and therefore breaking the law, officials said.

Under the new law, non-domestic animals must still be kept at least 35 feet from restaurants and other food establishments and at least 100 feet from such institutions as schools and hospitals, Kidd said.

Paul Williams, director of Planning and Community Development, said the city could find no health justification for keeping farm animals 35 feet from homes, however. “It’s purely a tradition,” he said.

A survey by the city’s Planning Department showed that the majority of nearby cities require a 35-foot setback between homes and non-domestic animals, but some jurisdictions--such as Ventura County--have no setback requirements, Kidd said.

The new law also will prevent owners of new homes from locating animal pastures or corrals within 35 feet of existing homes in Old Agoura.

The existing law already prevents current residents from enlarging corrals or pastures so that they would be less than 35 feet from a neighbor’s home, Williams said.