Youngstown mayor: Time to revisit laws on chickens in city
YOUNGSTOWN
With the city receiving several requests from those in urban neighborhoods to own chickens, ducks and goats, this may be the time to revisit the laws governing nondomesticated animals in residential homes, Mayor John A. McNally said.
“It’s important for city council to review the zoning ordinance and the ordinance on chickens,” McNally, a planning commission member, said Tuesday after the commission voted to not recommend a South Side resident having up to eight chickens on his property. “There are more rural areas where it is better suited to have chickens.”
McNally added: “Council needs to revisit this to see if they want to look at restricting chickens to certain areas, make us chicken-free or keep it as is.”
The planning commission has eight requests in the past year for those in areas zoned as residential to house chickens, ducks, French guineas and goats. During the last several years, there have been no requests for non-domesticated animals in residential areas.
For chickens – which have been six of the eight requests during the past year with another request pending for next month’s meeting – in residential neighborhoods, a person can have up to eight hens, no roosters, and must properly facilities to house the animals.
Permission from the city health department after an inspection is the first step to get approved. Then permission is needed from the planning commission with final approval from city council.
The planning commission has recommended council approve three requests for chickens. To date, council has approved only one.
“I drafted the legislation for the first one, and sent letters to city council for the other two informing members that the planning commission approved it, but nothing has been done with those,” said Bill D’Avignon, the city’s community development agency director who assists the commission. “If they want me to draft legislation, I’ll do that.”
Those wanting to keep chickens and other non-domesticated animals are technically seeking conditional use permits from the planning commission based on recommendations from the health department, he said.
Because of that, D’Avignon questioned if city council should be part of the process.
“It’s conditional use so if you meet the conditions, it should be OK and not require council action,” he said.
The commission voted 4-1 Tuesday to reject a request from Gene D. Peterson of Volney Road to have up to eight hens and a coop in his backyard.
Peterson’s request was in compliance with city law, but several of his neighbors told commission members they oppose it.
Willard Boyd of Genesee Drive, whose lived in the Idora Neighborhood since 1970, said he grew up with chickens and they attract flies and make noise.
He complained that Peterson has lived in the neighborhood for about three months and wants to bring chickens in.
“I must be doing a good job of hiding,” said Peterson, who added he moved to his home nine months ago.
Councilwoman Lauren McNally, D-5th, who represents that area of the city, said several Idora Neighborhood residents complained to her about the proposal.
“Everyone was against having chickens for the same reason: they don’t feel chickens fit into the neighborhood,” she said.
Peterson said the chickens would be kept in a coop he would build and not roam around the neighborhood.
But the opposition from his neighbors led the commission to recommend his request be rejected.