Peacocks plague Casselberry neighborhood; residents asking for ordinance overhaul
Casselberry residents divided over peacocks
Peacocks are dividing a Casselberry neighborhood, where some residents say the colorful birds are damaging property and creating sanitation problems while others argue they are part of the community's charm.
CASSELBERRY, Fla. - Peacocks are dividing a Casselberry neighborhood, where some residents say the colorful birds are damaging property and creating sanitation problems, while others argue they are part of the community's charm.
Residents of the Lost Lake subdivision asked the Casselberry City Commission to reconsider an ordinance that protects the nonnative birds from removal.
Residents complain of property damage
What they're saying:
Several Lost Lake residents said the peacocks have caused major property damage, along with a health hazard.
Others in the neighborhood said the peacocks are not a big issue, and they’re beautiful to behold.
Speaker after speaker from a particular street in the Lost Lake subdivision pleaded with the Casselberry City Commission to address The Peacock Problem.
They say the nonnative species is wreaking havoc, and they want to be able to fight back.
Others in the neighborhood adore the birds, and don’t find them to be a nuisance at all.
Residents of the Lost Lake subdivision say the iridescent irredeemables have done hundreds of dollars in damage to their pool screens and their lawns.
Tamara Max says one of the birds scratched her car, resulting in over $4,000 in damage.
She filed an insurance claim with the city, which was denied.
"I respectfully request that the rule protecting the peafowl be removed from the current ordinance, so residents are no longer forced to choose between protecting their property and complying with city code," she told City Commissioners Monday.
Georgia Pratt and others are concerned about the birds’ droppings soiling the neighborhood.
"They're become a continuing source of property damage, sanitation concerns, noise, expense, and a lost peace in our own homes," said Pratt.
Curt Max says he agrees the birds are beautiful, but he doesn’t think that’s enough to justify the protections granted to them in Casselberry.
"Beauty is not a sound basis for wildlife policy," he said.
Some residents said peacocks have damaged pool screens, lawns and vehicles.
Tamara Max said a peacock scratched her car, causing more than $4,000 in damage. She said she filed an insurance claim with the city, but it was denied.
"I respectfully request that the rule protecting the fowl be removed from the current ordinance, so residents are no longer forced to choose between protecting their property and complying with city code," Max told commissioners.
Resident Georgia Pratt and others also raised concerns about bird droppings, noise and property damage.
"They've become a continuing source of property damage, sanitation concerns, noise expense, and a loss of peace in our own homes," Pratt said.
Those opposed
The other side:
Victor Garcia has a variety of peacock feather-based decorations in and outside of his home. As a native New Yorker who grew up surrounded mostly by concrete, he says he loves having the bids close by.
"This is nature," said Garcia. "That's the beautiful thing about Casselberry, that we get to see trees and grass and beautiful animals."
Vinny Ciabattoni likes them too – enough to get a "Peacock Crossing" sign for his mailbox. He admits their droppings can be irritating, but says he got a device that emits an ultrasonic noise that wards them off. He put that near his front door, and says the birds that used to crowd his driveway have been staved off ever since.
"It’s just a bird, it’s a pretty bird," he said. There's really a lot of other things that need control, not so much the bird, you know?"
The ordinance
What's next:
The speakers who addressed the City Council want to change Section 18-3 of the City’s code, which designates Casselberry as a "bird sanctuary" and makes it illegal to "hunt, kill, maim, or trap or otherwise molest" a variety of birds, including peafowl.
The City of Casselberry told FOX 35 in a statement, "The city will be scheduling a workshop to discussion the future of the ordinance regarding the ‘sanctuary’ status of the peacocks. As of now, it has not been scheduled."
The Source: This story was written based on information shared by residents of the Lost Lake subdivision in Casselberry and the City of Casselberry.