Proposed law could bring (a few) chickens home to roost in Athens

Athens City Council member Kent Butler announced his intentions Monday night to introduce an ordinance that will allow city residents to keep a small number of chickens on their properties.

 

 

Chickens are already allowed within city limits, but must be kept 100 feet from any property line, making most properties around town unable to accommodate city code. But First Ward member Butler hopes to change that.

“My point is to propose legislation to permit or allow ownership within the city limits of Athens of a small number of chickens per home,” he said.

He noted that the keeping of a small number of chickens would require a structure not much larger than a doghouse that could be moved around a yard.

Allowing a small number of hens or chickens would help increase food security, Butler said in explaining his logic for changing the city code. Research has found that backyard food production is on the rise, he added.

An increase in energy and transportation costs, he said referring to the research, has caused concern over increases in food costs, and backyard eggs offer a cheaper solution because eggs don’t have to travel nearly as far to reach the plate.

Also, considering meat recalls and other food-safety concerns, backyard chickens offer a safer solution, Butler said.

“If you’re doing it yourself, you know where it’s coming from and you know what to expect,” Butler said.

He said the Community Food Initiatives, an area non-profit that works to improve regional food security, supports a code change that would let residents legally own chickens within city limits.

With many parents homeschooling their children, Butler said, allowing chickens gives them the opportunity to help the youngsters learn hands-on about where food comes from and the responsibilities associated with that.

One concern that has been expressed is that some residents consider chickens to be loud and dirty. With regard to noise, Butler said he’s been awakened by bird chirping as well as cicadas in the summertime, which is just a part of everyday living. A chicken supporter who spoke at council cited the large number of dogs around town, which he said he hears at all hours of the day.

Talking to law-enforcement and code officials from cities that allow residents to own chickens, Butler said they’ve told him very few complaints have been lodged. He added that some officials told him that they had no complaints or problems whatsoever.

Butler wants to limit the number of hens per home to four, he said, with no roosters allowed. Also, a registration process with the city would have to be established with a low, perhaps $10, one-time fee, Butler suggested. He said that the 100-foot requirement for chicken coops to be away from a property line should be changed to 10 feet.

Chickens should also not be allowed in front yards, he said. The chickens could not be used for commercial use, he said, and structures should not be perceptible from the property boundary.

He said that if council passes the amended chicken code, it should revisit it in one year to see how it worked out.

Fourth Ward council member Christine Fahl said that she supports having chickens and has been approached about the subject by a number of constituents.

“Our nuisance laws would cover many of the issues that may come up,” she said with regard to concerns over chickens in city limits. “Maybe we could make some sort of process where if people are concerned about chicken noise – or dog noise, or bird noise, or cat noise – that they can contact the Police Department and do a courtesy letter.”

At-large council member Christine Knisely said she supports the code change in principle. She pointed out that chicken manure in the summer smells, and residents will have to get rid of it. She also said that after chickens are too old to lay eggs, residents would have to decide how to get rid of them.

At-large member Elahu Gosney said that with regard to sustainable agriculture, this is a natural follow-up for the city to allowing gardening.

Some concerns that were raised at the meeting revolved around enforcement of the code. Butler said that the registration process would help the city’s code office keep residents in compliance with the regulations.

Athens Mayor Paul Wiehl said that the issue will have to be recommended to the City Planning Commission.

“I do eat eggs,” Wiehl said. “I’m not a big chicken fan. At the same time I recognize the fact that it is a good idea. I’m willing to see how this works.”

Wiehl’s biggest concern, he said, is that the city doesn’t currently have a good method for dealing with animals, and he doesn’t want to see the city create any more problems.