Port Republic, MD – Calvert County regulations regarding livestock in residential areas were tested Thursday, March 2 during the monthly meeting of the local Board of Appeals. In the end it was a win for some of the people and most the animals.
The issue was whether Roland and Tammy Dugans of Port Republic would be granted a special exception to keep livestock—in this case several hens, a rooster and some goats—in a confined area of the residence they are renting in the Western Shores Estates subdivision of Port Republic. The property is 2.3 acres and in Calvert the minimum size of a property where livestock is allowed is 3 acres.
“The chickens and goats have not been a nuisance,” said Roland Dugans. “It’s not a safety issue. The neighborhood is OK with it.” Dugans told the three-member panel that he had a “signed waiver” from neighbors who had no issue with the animals being kept on the property. While he conceded the roosters crowing might annoy some neighbors, a nearby gun range creates far more intrusive noise.
“My children are attached to these animals,” Roland Dugans stated. In a form labeled “purpose of appeal,” Tammy Dugans stated, “all animals are educationally used for school projects and fairs. They teach responsibility to our children. They are used for Girl Scouts, 4H. The hens are good for their eggs, which we eat and also donate to local food pantries. The children are interested in entering the rooster in this year’s Calvert County Fair. The rooster protects a disabled laying hen as well as other hens. We have had the chickens and goats since eight weeks of age and intend to keep them to the end of their days.”
During public testimony, one neighbor told the board “I have an issue with the rooster.” The woman said she could hear the crowing from her bedroom and added that the noisy rooster could have an adverse impact on her property values.
Another neighbor, Paul Fuller, declared, “it [animals] has been a great educational thing to have. I kind of like it.” Fuller noted that the area where the Dugans keep the animals is “very clean.”
Board member John Ward, who stated he has lived in a farming community his entire life, noted the zoning regulation stipulates the property must be at least 3 acres to permit the presence of livestock. Ward also recalled the board has dealt with similar cases by requiring the applicant to part with the rooster. He said he would only support the special exception request if that were the case here.
Board member Susie Hance Wells agreed with Ward that if the rooster was removed she would support the request. After the board voted unanimously to grant the special exception, Roland Dugans sought to do a little chicken trading and asked if the rooster could be replaced with another hen. The board agreed to allow the chicken swap.
Contact Marty Madden at marty.madden@thebaynet.com