News : Council supports game bird farm, but must change city rules to allow it

The Vinton City Council is facing a minor, but unique challenge: How to change the city rules so that the former Vinton Animal Shelter can become a game bird farm.

During its meeting last Thursday, the council members heard from Scott Barron and Will Ketchen, who want to raised 3,000 to 5,000 pheasants and quail each year at the shelter site southeast of town. They plan to sell the birds to farmers who want to add wildlife to their property as well as hunters who will use them to help train their bird dogs.

Barron and Ketchen told the council they hope to set up a few hoop-style flight pens around the concrete shelter that was a temporary home to hundreds of cats and dogs over the past 40 years. The city closed the shelter last year and now relies on the Cedar Valley Humane Society to deal with stray dogs.

While Barron and Ketchen received unanimous support from the council members who spoke to them during the meeting, they also face some challenges with city ordinances.

“It’s a great idea, but at this point and time we have an ordinance against it,” said council member Zach Parmater.

The council did recently adopt an ordinance allowing for permitted keeping of up to two chickens or ducks within city limits, but current code does not allow any other fowl.

City Attorney Robert Fischer reminded the council that during the discussion of that ordinance, council members specifically discussed other fowl, but chose to leave them off that ordinance.

Mayor John Watson expressed support for the project.

“It sounds like a great idea,” he said.

After a long discussion about the city ordinance, as well as whether or not the shelter is within city limits (it is), the council referred the matter to its Planning and Zoning Committee members. They will soon meet to discuss the best way to make the game bird farm possible. Changing the ordinance, or granting a variance, are two options.

The property in question is actually owned by Benton County; Ketchen and Barron have spoken to the county supervisors who also gave them their support.

Future housing development?

Another topic of discussion about the shelter/game bird farm was that the area surrounding the shelter is included in the city’s long-term housing plan. Some day in the future, the game bird farm may have to move as houses fill the area.

Barron replied that he and Ketchen plan to use the shelter for now as a temporary home for the new business, with the hope to move it to a larger, more permanent home later.

Council members also observed the irony of the situation, as they discussed allowing the raising of birds on a facility near a hog farm.

Brian Parr, one of the council’s newest member, wryly asked, “So we are zoning it so the old animal shelter can have animals in it again?”

Yes, was the answer.

“The bottom line is, you have our blessing,” said Nathan Hesson, the other council member who began his first term Jan. 1.