ITEM TITLE:
Report on Chickens Proposed in Residential Zoning Districts
SUBMITTED BY: Lisa Von Bargen, CED Director
FISCAL NOTES:
Expenditure Required: N/A
Unencumbered Balance: N/A
Funding Source: N/A
RECOMMENDATION:
None. Report only.
SUMMARY STATEMENT:
As a response to a public request to the Commission (and regular inquiries to the Community Development Department) the Planning & Zoning Commission requested the staff bring forward a draft ordinance for consideration allowing chickens in residential subdivisions. Currently chickens are only permitted in the Rural Residential Zoning District which includes Robe Lake, Alpine Woods and Nordic Subdivision and a handful of individual survey lots along the Richardson Highway.
A public hearing on this matter will take place on Wednesday, March 22nd. Notice of the public hearing was mailed to 892 households on March 10th. This represents the number of property owners within zoning districts which will be impacted, or those that live within 300 feet of an affected property.
The proposed guidelines under which chickens would be allowed are below:
Chickens in Residential Zoning Districts:
• Allow barnyard fowl (excluding Roosters) in the following zoning districts:
o R-A Single-Family Residential
o R-B Single and Two Family Residential
o R-R Rural Residential (already allowed)
o R-M Residential Mobile Home (if over a certain lot size)
o R-N Semi-Rural Residential
o N-C Neighborhood Commercial
o C-R Commercial Residential
• Up to 6 hens (again Roosters prohibited) on lots 10,000 ft² or less
• On lots greater than 10,000 ft² one additional hen for every 2,000 ft², not to exceed a maximum of 24
• Unless constructed as a permanent structure, meeting local building codes, Coops may not exceed 200 ft²
• Coops are required to have heat lamps. Heat lamps are required to have some type of shut-off or disconnect switch at the lamp. Electrical power installation for the coop must meet the Electrical Code as adopted by the City of Valdez
• The Coop shall be a minimum of 10 feet from any other structure on the property
• The Coop shall meet the minimum setback requirements for the zoning district
• The Coop shall not exceed the maximum lot coverage within the zoning district
• Barnyard fowl must be kept enclosed either by a fence surrounding the entire yard, or a fence surrounding the Coop area
• Feed must be stored indoors - outdoor feed storage is prohibited
• A waste management plan is required
• A chicken permit is required
The meeting on the 22nd is an initial public hearing on the matter. This issue has sparked considerable interest. Just the Monday following the notice mailing saw several calls and visits to the Community Development Department for additional information.
Staff anticipates significant public input on the matter and will keep the Council updated.