MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - Do five goats make a farm?

That's the question the Planning Commission had to ask on Monday, October 12th.

The McCurdy family has lived on the six acre property for five years, and have had their five pigmy goats since last fall. In June they were told by township officials that goats are not permitted on their property.

The reason the pigmy goats are not allowed is due to the fact that the property is not properly zoned to raise goats.

The McCurdy property is zoned as RAAA (single family low density). In order to keep the goats the property would need to be changed to RR (rural residential).

Township staff Gail Oranchak informed the Planning Commission of some concerns that have been brought up.

"One of the issues that has been raised about rezoning this property to RR is the potential for commercial agricultural operations that are protected via the right to farm act, which in a typically single family residential area with multiple subdivisions and single family homes being developed that could present some problems in the future if right to farm was claimed and there's no recourse if the farm is a nuisance to surrounding neighbors."

The owner, Mike McCurdy, addressed this concern at the meeting.

"This property is only six acres there's not going to be some huge farm operation going on no matter who lives there. Even under right to farm all animal practices have to comply with very strict regulations there's not going to be some big cattle farm, there's not going to be some big pig farm. I just want to keep my five pigmy goats."

The family has a Facebook page, 'Save the McCurdy Goats'. This is where members of the community, or fans of the goats, can show their support. The McCurdy family posts updates on their situation, to keep the community up-to-date.