As a relatively new resident to the City of Westminster, I was surprised to learn about the code restrictions for keeping backyard chickens and the lack of code protections for keeping bees in a community that is simultaneously agrarian and progressive. Other Maryland cities like Baltimore, Annapolis, Frederick, Gaithersburg, Tacoma Park and Rockville have all updated their codes to allow backyard chickens and beekeeping given the benefits they serve to food security, community building and (in the case of chickens) reducing invasive pests, deer ticks and other vectors that transmit Lyme Disease.  Moreover, as a Bee City USA, and in light of the recent Low-Impact Landscaping Bill setting a legal precedent in favor of eco-friendly yards in the State of Maryland, Westminster should be ahead of these trends and not behind them.

Food security is the paramount issue as evidenced by the recent volatility in the price of eggs and their scarcity, but it also leads to a reduction in food waste (since chickens eat scraps) and the use or need for colony-disrupting pesticides.  Meanwhile, the marketplace for backyard permaculture is soaring. Allowing residents to engage in permaculture would support local businesses like Bowman’s, Sweetbay Farms, and others who provide products and services to this emerging market, and may actually lead to the creation of new businesses.

Inversely, keeping and enforcing the existing codes does nothing to support our community and may only foment resentment between residents and the City while stretching thin the duties of an already understaffed police force and city administration. The current don’t-ask-don’t-tell, complaint-driven policies are ineffective and only create a culture of distrust. 

Please help me raise support for our Mayor and City Council to amend the city code that would allow for backyard chickens and beehives.