I love Willistown, don’t misunderstand me, but the way things happen and the way things are done sometimes makes a person wonder about life’s little conundrums, doesn’t it?

One of the weaknesses and Willistown has to do with their zoning department. They have made a few missteps there and will leave it at that and that includes personnel. I’ll be polite and not point them out, including from past mistakes.

I started wondering about zoning there again when Wildflower Farm opened. They invited the zoning officer to come make sure they were doing everything right. And then we all know what happened there after that, yes? It was a couple years of round robin and when it’s zoned a farm but it’s not supposed to be a farm yet it is a farm, right? And this was over growing flowers. It was not all the NOFIMBY neighbors was it?

So there is this agricultural zoning, right and there are 2 acre lots, correct? A couple of years ago there was this hullabaloo about chickens that really wasn’t about chickens at all it was about roosters. And roosters can be a pain in the ass if you’re not on a really big property because they’re noisy birds it’s in their nature to crow.

But when you’re living close to other people, it would be common sense to make sure your rooster stayed inside until a reasonable hour every morning, and I know people that do that they keep them in large pens, and they even keep them in areas where they put covers/curtains over things, so the roosters still think it’s dark outside. It actually works. I was talking with someone who has had to do it and another person remarked how this is the time of year where they have to figure out if they have hens or roosters and if they have roosters, they get rehomed to larger properties.

So there is this rooster in Willistown again. He kinda starts before 5 AM some mornings, and before 6 AM other mornings. He also wakes up other animals where he lives as well as neighbors. Goats and chickens don’t bother me particularly, but wow donkeys are also noisy!

Maybe the rooster owner is a heavy sleeper. Or maybe the rooster is far enough away from their bedroom window that they don’t hear it. Next I have to ask are they actually a farm or they just a residential property? Because in this township it does get confusing, doesn’t it ?

Willistown actually has a rooster ordinance and this stood out:

adding a new §139-97.D, as follows:

139-97.D The keeping of guineafowl, peacocks, or roosters is prohibited except in the RU Zoning District on lots of ten acres or greater when associated with a farm use pursuant to §139-12.D. Any structure or building for the housing of guineafowl, peacocks, or roosters shall be no less than 500 feet from any occupied structure on a neighboring lot. Non-conforming animals may not be replaced and the non-conformity must be resolved no more than 5 (five) years from the date of enactment of this Ordinance.

So if this isn’t a 10 acre property why does it have a rooster at all? I would hate to say this is a case of it depends who you know, but is this a case of it depends who you know? I will note someone else said this ordinance with the 10 acre thing didn’t actually pass and apparently roosters are allowed on 4 acres or more in this RA or RU zoning? (I get confused because it seems like both are in play here and I could be wrong about that but that’s what it seems like?) And this is yet another slightly weird thing here?

And again, I really love Willistown, but there are all these conundrums aren’t there? Come on, Willistown level the playing field maybe like maybe you need a new zoning officer again? Willistown seems to go through zoning people don’t they?

Since I wrote this post I have been accused of bullying and told to “stay in my lane”. This is about a loud rooster. Not about disliking chickens, donkeys, goats, other farm animals, etc. Or any people in particular. And as always, I am only golden if I have an opinion on what people want me to have an opinion on?

Chickens are a weird thing on their own in PA as a whole. Some municipalities want to forbid them but instead ignore them. Some municipalities just say no altogether. Some municipalities limit the numbers of chickens depending on property size. I actually have an opinion that loud roosters are what stirs the pot against chickens in municipalities.

I like chickens and their sounds and their laying songs, and have neighbors all around who have them but guess what no roosters, so it’s all very pleasant. I also happen to like goats. Donkeys I have no real opinion on other than they always sound indignant and like goats they smell kind of rank at times. I have friends that have all of these animals, but interestingly enough, never roosters. Hope that clears things up.

The last time roosters came up it wreaked havoc in this township, didn’t it? So excuse the hell out of me wondering WHY there is Groundhog Day over roosters again? And is it wrong to feel for people who don’t wish to be woken up super freaking early every day? Isn’t there that reasonable expectation of quiet enjoyment thing?

Cock-A-Doodle-Do y’all. Never a dull moment.