Woodside strikes a deal to fetter free-range peafowl Woodside strikes a deal to fetter free-range peafowl (June 08, 2005)

By Andrea Gemmet

Almanac Staff Writer

The elegant fan of iridescent plumes, the proud strut -- and the horrible, horrible screeching. Pity the peacock, so lovely to look at, so difficult to live near.

After ongoing complaints from neighbors on Mountain Home Road in Woodside, and numerous calls to the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office, the town of Woodside took the owners of errant birds to court last August.

Besides the screeching, nearby residents have complained that the antagonistic avians come into their yards, eat their landscaping and generally wreak havoc.

Under the terms of a preliminary injunction recently issued, the peafowl shall run amok no more, at least if they want to keep residing in Woodside.

Ronald Mullin and Paula Schmidt agreed to limit their flock to Tom the peacock and two peahens, Petey and Girlie, and to confine them to the garage every evening from 7 p.m. until 8 a.m. the next day.

Any eggs produced by the prolific peafowl are to be destroyed, and any chicks that manage to hatch are to be removed from the property by the age of six months.

Under a two-strikes program, trespassing on other people's property twice in one month triggers the permanent expulsion of all three peafowl. First-time offenders may be impounded.

Just to make sure that no other sneaky peacocks are setting up Petey, Tom and Girlie to take the rap for them, the birds are to be clearly marked and identified, and any incidents of trespassing documented with a photograph.

Two or more incidents of sustained screeching that are confirmed by sheriff's deputies or town staff are also grounds for expulsion.

As part of the agreement, once the peafowl get the boot, there are to be no more of the birds kept on the property again. The town also has the right to send an inspector to monitor the peafowl population on an annual basis.

Mr. Mullin and Ms. Schmidt also agreed to pay Woodside $24,000 toward its attorney fees.

Woodside officials agreed not to publicize the agreement or make any statements about it to the press. The agreement was obtained by the Almanac through a public records act request.

Lewis J. Soffer, the Palo Alto attorney representing Mr. Mullin and Ms. Schmidt, declined to discuss specifics about the agreement, but said that there had been more than the three peafowl on the property in the past.

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