(3/16) The Woodsboro Town Council will hold a Public Hearing, to be held on April 11, allowing citizens to weigh in on whether to change the current town code to allow chickens within town limits. Additionally, input will be requested on changing the maximum allowable grass height from 18 inches to 8 inches.
In March, in a three to one split decision, the Town Council agreed to move forward with modification of the town code approving ownership of chickens within town limits.
Prior to the vote, the Commissioners reviewed and marked up the proposed ‘Regulation of Fowl’ ordinance, drafted by the town’s Planning and Zoning Commission, which would govern the ownership of chickens.
As amended by the Town Council, property owners within the town who own less than an acre will be allowed to have 5 chickens. Owners of more than one acre will be allowed to own up to 12 chickens. Ownership of roosters is prohibited.
A majority of the requirements within the ordinance are related to ensuring the safety, health and wellbeing of the chickens. Especially, the ordinance lays out requirements for the minimum size of chicken coops and their outdoor runs, based on the number of chickens. It’s important that chickens have the ability to move about, Commissioner John Cutshall said.
Chickens must be safely secured in well-constructed coops at night, and be protected at all times from attacks from wild animals, dogs and cats. In addition, veterinary care must be provided for all sick or injured chickens.
The rights of adjacent property owners were also addressed by the proposed requirements. Specifically, when not in their pens, all chickens must be in an enclosed area to prevent them from being "free range chickens," according to Cutshall. In addition, the enclosure cannot be closer than 10 feet to an adjoining property. "While we want them to be able to move about, we don’t want chickens to have the full run of someone’s yard," Cutshall said.
Any odor from the chickens, including water byproducts, may not be discernable at the property line. Owners must dispose of all chicken waste, not used for fertilizer, properly. Disposal of chicken waste in the town’s trash system is strictly prohibited.
In order to obtain a town permit, owners must first register their chickens with the State’s Domestic Poultry division. Following the state registration, a resident can then apply for a town permit.
Prior to issuing a permit, the property will be inspected by the town’s zoning enforcement officer to verify that the chicken coop and enclosure are compliant with all requirements.
Owners who violate any of the requirements within the new ordinance will be cited and fined, with fines increasing with each violation. An owner who is cited three times within a 12 month period will have their permit withdrawn and will be required to move their chickens outside of town limits.
Following public input, the Council will make the final decision to reject or adopt the ordinance. If adopted, chicken lovers can then begin the process of bringing their chickens home to roost.
Also in March, due to frequent complaints from residents related to adjoining property owners not cutting their lawns, town staff has recommended a change to the town code reducing the allowed height of lawns from 18 inches to 8 inches.
During that meeting, Commissioner Dana Crum raised the possibility that since the public meeting will also include input on the proposed Chicken Ordinance, the Town might explore updating the town code related to unlicensed cars within town limits.
Burgess Barnes said that the current code does not allow any unlicensed cars within the town limits unless they are in a garage.
Commissioner Jesse Case asked if the code could be updated to allow owners of classic cars to simply put a cloth cover on them, instead of having to put them in a garage. Noting that there are a lot of classic car owners in town.
The Council agreed to hold off on updating the Town ordinance related to unlicensed cars until everyone could get up to speed on its current requirements.
Public Hearings are required whenever there is a proposed change to the Town’s code or ordnances. It allows the public to voice their opinions to the Council before a final vote is made.
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