Story Created:
Sep 2, 2010 at 10:46 AM PST
Story Updated:
Sep 2, 2010 at 10:46 AM PST
NORWALK — A man who said he captures wild pigeons to find them homes and stop them from littering public streets may continue but at a reduced rate, the Planning Commission has ruled.
Commissioners agreed Aug. 25 that Rockie Mooney, 15319 Domart St., may keep up to 25 pigeons at one time. He was cited by the city code enforcement officer last spring when about 100 pigeons were found on his property along with 10 chickens.
Both exceeded the city’s animal code, which allows only up to 10 birds.
Mooney asked the Planning Department staff in May for permits to keep 100 pigeons, 10 chickens and two mini cows on the site but was denied. He appealed the staff decision to the Planning Commission.
Planning Manager Bing Hyun said the commission ruled that Mooney could keep up to 25 pigeons and could either have five chickens and two mini cows or 10 chickens and one mini cow.
Offspring of the pigeons may be kept for six weeks.
He currently has no mini cows but hoped to purchase them in the future once he had city permits.
In a written report to the commission, Senior Planner Jessica Serrano said the 25 pigeon precedent was set in June when commissioners allowed Larry Clayton, 12632 Fairford Ave., to keep 25 pigeons along with a dog and three cats on his property. He wanted to keep 150 birds on his 5,000 square foot lot.
Mooney, however, resides in the city’s residential horse zone along the east side of the San Gabriel River, where a limited number of farm animals are allowed if the site is at least 9,000 square feet and the animals or birds are kept certain distances from neighboring lots.
He told city staff that he belongs to several bird advocacy groups and distributes wild pigeons he captures to them. However, at times the number on his property reaches about 100.
Mooney said he was helping the city by reducing the number of pigeons living under freeway and street overpasses and befouling the streets with their droppings.
Serrano said Mooney kept both pigeons and chickens in two buildings in back of his 11,370-square-foot lot. One was 64 square feet and located five feet from his side yard limit and 37 feet from his home. The other was 160 square feet and located 12 feet from the side lot line and 65 feet from his home.
Both buildings meet the distance requirements but must be properly maintained, Serrano said.
She noted that besides exceeding the limit for birds, Mooney was cited for not properly maintaining the landscaping, allowing overgrown vegetation and weeds on the lot and items improperly stored on the driveway and rear lot.
He was told to correct those violations.
Serrano noted that pigeons have a life span of 10 to 15 years in the wild but only about five years in urban areas.
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