Accessory agricultural uses include growing crops or keeping livestock animals on a parcel where this use is not the principal use of the parcel. This is a common accessory use in Grundy County where a homeowner will have a large garden or a small greenhouse on the property for the individual’s own use. Accessory livestock animals are allowed by right in the A, AR, and PR zoning districts. This use is permitted in combination with the keeping of other livestock animals so long as the maximum number of allowed animal units (horses and other types of livestock animals) in the relevant zoning district are not exceeded.
Accessory agricultural uses include:
Field crops.
Greenhouse for private use only.
Nursery for private use only.
The keeping of livestock animals for personal use only and subject to the following standards:
A. All buildings housing livestock animals shall be set back at least one hundred feet (100') from all property lines.
B. Grazing livestock animals shall have one acre of continuous grazing. For parcels greater than five acres, the grazing acreage shall be one acre of grazing for each five acres of land, or fraction thereof.
C. Small birds, small reptiles, fish, and small mammals like gerbils, rabbits, mice, and similar small animals are not limited in number.
D. The sanitation and management of the livestock animals shall comply with the current Illinois Environmental Protection Agency for manure management and the Animal Welfare Management regulations of the Illinois Department of Agriculture.
E. There shall not be more than one animal unit per acre or part thereof. The following table shows the value in animal units for mature livestock animals permitted per acre of land:
TABLE 8-2-3-1 ANIMAL UNITS PER ACRE | ||
Animal | Number Of Animal Units | Minimum Lot Size |
Horse, mule, Llama, Cow, swine | 1.0 = 1 unit | 2 |
Swine 500 pounds or less, miniature cattle | 2.0 = 1 unit | 2 |
Sheep, goat, mini-horse, pony, alpaca, ostrich, mini-pig 200 pounds or less | 3.0 = 1 unit | 2 |
Fowl, poultry1 | 20 = 1 unit | 1 |
Furbearing animals2 | 20 = 1 unit | 1 |
Notes:
1. PR zoning district regulations that are at section 8-2-4-7 of this chapter.
2. Except dogs and cats, which are regulated by section 4-2-7 of this code.
(Ord. 10-001, 1-12-2010; amd. Ord. 2012-011, 4-10-2012; Ord. 2021-017, 6-8-2021)