Board Rejects Curb on Livestock : Supervisors Block Zoning Proposal and Uphold Rural Nature of County

The Board of Supervisors wouldn’t stand for it. First there were the proposals that pigs, somehow, don’t quite belong here anymore. Then there was the suggestion to limit residents to five roosters.

Barnyard animals are an integral part of Ventura’s heritage, they said. And they made it clear they want to keep it that way.

“I’m proud of our agricultural heritage and industry,” Supervisor Judy Mikels said to applause from two dozen animal owners in the audience. “People tout our county for its rural lifestyle but as soon as they run into a pig and don’t like its odor, they want government regulations.”

“I like pigs,” Supervisor Susan Lacey concurred. “I think they’re beautiful animals.”

With that, the supervisors agreed Tuesday to halt any attempts to regulate the number of pigs, roosters or any other livestock raised by local ranchers.

An attempt to regulate farm animals advanced by the county’s Planning Department was among many proposed changes to the county’s non-coastal zoning ordinances discussed Tuesday by the board.

In support of the existing ordinances, adopted in 1947 and last modified in 1987, dozens of county ranchers donned their cowboy hats and drove to the Government Center to show support for the county’s livestock-friendly laws.

The effort to regulate animal ownership struck a raw nerve.

“We live in the country so we can have some elbow room,” said Jackie Springer of Oak View as he stood among a group of ranchers dressed in dark blue jeans and cowboy hats.

“But when city folk move up here, they try to change the rules to city rules. If they don’t like chickens or horses, then why’d they move out here? They ought to live in the city.”

For Norm Davis, who owns Ojai Valley Feed, the issue was about fighting for less government.

“We need to get the government out of our back pocket,” Davis said, echoing the anti-government sentiments felt by many in the audience. “They just wanted to over-regulate us. It’s government justifying more government.”

There are currently no regulations on how many animals someone can keep on more than 10 acres of private property in unincorporated areas of the county.

County planners proposed limiting the number to one or two animals per 10,000 square feet unless certain sanitary conditions were met. Other proposals included regulating the amount of dust, flies and odors and noise coming from animal farms and limiting the number of noisy birds, such as roosters and peacocks.

“We’re proposing these changes because we’ve gotten some complaints about animal keeping,” county planning Director Keith A. Turner said. “There are no limits and that could be a problem in the future. An overpopulation of animals could have a negative impact on a neighborhood. Right now you could have a 10-acre lot with 200 to 300 horses. There are no standards, no limits.”

Although the board’s opposition to the controversial zoning proposal came in an unofficial straw poll, it effectively eliminated attempts to regulate livestock. The board will officially vote on a finalized package of zoning proposals--minus the proposed animal regulations--June 27.

While the board unanimously rejected the recommendations, planning department proposals to relax other regulations received a warm reception.

Among the suggestions were proposals to allow wild animals, pygmy goats and miniature horses as pets, permit exotic animals such as emus, ostriches and bison, and allow children to raise a farm animal in a residential neighborhood if neighbors don’t protest.

For Kay Skeeters, who owns an equestrian center with 80 horses, the board’s decision was more than a matter of philosophy.

“The regulations would have forced us to cut back to 45 horses,” Skeeters said of her $2.3 million-investment in Ojai Valley Farms.

“It’s just such a relief that the board made it very clear they aren’t going to permit any regulation of the rural atmosphere we enjoy. They are supporting residents who want to stay rural because they know that’s our heritage.”