Westminster voted Monday night
Residents must wait three months to stock the chicken coops and bee hives until the ordinance goes into effect Nov. 8. A single-family home can have up to two beehives and six chickens.
But some residents could still be locked out of being able to keep chickens and bees: Most homeowners associations — which cover 65 percent of Westminster homes — prohibit backyard farm animals.
Draft versions of the ordinance were amended, however, to allow renters to be keepers.
The ordinance passed 5-2, with Mayor Herb Atchison and Councilman Bruce Baker casting the “no” votes.
“It was a citizen petition that came to us,” said Councilwoman Anita Seitz. “The more we investigated other communities that have done this, the more we felt it was a good fit for Westminster. We have found that it leads to community engagement, it allows children to have a connection to where food comes from, and it promotes sustainability.”
Austin Briggs: 303-954-1729, abriggs@denverpost.com or twitter.com/abriggs
