Bel Air South residents Eric and Wendy Nowakowski, who are fighting to save their family's flock of ducks, have filed an appeal to a Harford County zoning hearing examiner's denial of their request for a variance to keep the birds.
The couple is "hereby appealing the zoning administrator's decision of denial in our case," according to a March 23 letter signed by the Nowakowskis.
The Nowakowskis, who also have two children and two dogs, raise seven ducks as pets on a 1.98-acre lot off Lake Drive south of Bel Air. Wendy Nowakowski has said previously the ducks are not caged or fenced in the yard, and they are able to come in and out of the family home.
She feeds them bread, grains and produce to supplement what the ducks eat as they forage around her property and in the surrounding community.
Zoning Hearing Examiner Robert Kahoe Jr. denied the Nowakowskis' appeal for a variance because ducks are considered livestock, and property owners in Harford County's R2 urban residential district must have at least 2 acres if they want to raise livestock.
A hearing will be scheduled before the county's Board of Appeals, which consists of the members of the Harford County Council.
As the applicants, the Nowakowskis must also purchase a copy of the transcript of the initial November 2014 hearing before Kahoe and file it with the Board of Appeals within 90 days, which would be June 24, according to a letter to the applicants from County Council Administrator Mylia Dixon.