Source: The Arizona Republic
By Diana Balazs

Boxer and bird-lover Mike Tyson wants to build a $12,000 coop, complete with air-conditioning, for his pet pigeons.

Tyson recently bought a $2.1 million home on nearly an acre on Paradise Valley's Mummy Mountain. In late June, town inspectors red-flagged construction of the backyard coop after learning that it was being built without a town-required permit.

Representatives for Tyson have since filed an application to obtain a building permit. The detached coop would be 100 square feet with the improvements having an estimated value of $12,000, according to the application.

Tyson plans to house between 85 and 100 birds. He has said publicly that he owns 350 pigeons. A typed note attached to the application states that all fecal matter from the birds would be maintained in a large metal container. The pigeon poop also would be collected in trays under the coop.

According to plans submitted with the application, the coop's swinging doors would be made of oak. They would be stained to match the existing wood on the front of Tyson's house. The coop would have a heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system.

Paradise Valley doesn't limit the number of birds a homeowner can have. But it does require the birds to be contained on the property. They also cannot create a public nuisance for neighbors.

Hamid Arshadi, Paradise Valley's building and zoning director, said the town is now reviewing the plans and application. A decision on the permit could occur later this week or early next, he said.