Milton council to move forward on chicken policy

While the Milton Planning and Zoning Commission may have said “cluck no” in an advisory report on whether to allow chickens in residentially zoned areas, town council voted 4-3 vote to move forward with drafting an ordinance that would allow chickens. 

At its June 5 meeting, council took the unusual step of accepting the commission’s report while also wanting to continue discussion on a possible ordinance that would allow chickens. 

Council had begun exploring the idea of allowing chickens in residential areas in February, and tasked planning and zoning with writing an advisory report. That report, issued in May, highlighted negative impacts of allowing poultry or fowl within town limits, including unpleasant odors, uncontrolled noise, increased pests, and predators that may carry diseases that could be transmitted to humans and other animals. In addition, the commission said, aerial predators such as hawks and owls present a problem. 

On a zoning code level, the commission said the recommended setback requirements for keeping a chicken coop could not be reached on the majority of parcels within Milton. The commission, which reviewed code from other municipalities as well as academic material and state regulations, found that most municipalities require 20 to 100 feet from the coop to the closest property line. Another consideration, the report says, is that other properties within Milton are located in developments that have covenants prohibiting poultry, fowl or farm animals. 

Councilwoman Randi Meredith said she disagreed with those conclusions, saying unpleasant odors can be controlled by limiting flock size, noise can be controlled by only allowing hens and not roosters, and that pests can be controlled through proper coop maintenance. Addressing developments with covenants prohibiting chickens, she said, one development shouldn’t dictate the rules for the whole town. 

Meredith said the town could come up with a policy that would allow chickens with specific caveats and that only a small number of properties would even be able to have chickens.

Councilman Fred Harvey said he is open to the idea of allowing chickens, as long as council could come up with a solid policy for how they are kept. 

Councilman Scotty Edler said his main concern is how the policies would be enforced. He said the town does not have a large code enforcement office or an animal control officer. Town Solicitor Seth Thompson said council could create a fee for people wanting to keep chickens that would go toward enforcement.

Councilwoman Annette Babich agrees with Meredith and Harvey that the town should consider allowing chickens. 

Councilwoman Lee Revis-Plank said while she doesn’t have any strong feelings about the issue, she does want council to consider unintended consequences, such as possible avian flu and enforcement. 

Thompson said the way for council to move forward is to sponsor an ordinance, which would make the keeping of chickens an accessory use within the zoning code and create a permitting process.

Meredith, Harvey, Babich and Edler voted in favor of moving forward, while Revis-Plank, Councilman Larry Savage and Mayor John Collier voted no.