The Auburn City Council approved an amendment July 19 that will allow residents meeting certain requirements to own chickens.
Unfortunately for students, the amendment does not allow simply anyone to keep chickens, said Forrest Cotten, city planning director.
"You have to have a minimum of 10,000 square feet, and then you can own up to four chickens," Cotten said. "You can't own even one without that requirement."
Residents who own 20,000 square feet or more may own up to six chickens, and all owners are required to keep their chickens in some sort of enclosure, such as a coop or chicken tractor, Cotten said.
Cotten also said the approval process is important and requires more than simply owning the needed amount of land.
"You have to get a zoning certificate, and part of that is we have to see a sketch plan of where the coop is proposed to be located," Cotten said.
Though the amendment is a step ahead for some, students and many citizens alike will not have the experience of killing their own meals or the convenience of owning an alarm clock with a six to ten year lifespan.
"Roosters are not allowed at all, and neither is the slaughtering of animals," Cotten said.
Previous to the amendment, residents were required to own three or more acres of land, be zoned rural and reside within the stock district to own roosters or slaughter chickens, said Charlie Duggan, city manager.
The topic may seem new, but the City Council has visited it many times before.
"The Council has been considering it for a while," said James Buston, assistant city manager and chief information officer. "A group of citizens brought it up some time ago, so it was expected."
Citizens signed a petition that was presented before the Council a few months ago, but it was not relied upon to make the decision, Buston said.
"It wasn't a consideration in the deliberation by the Council," Buston said. "The one that some folks saw didn't really have many legitimate signatures."
Neighborhoods, however, can prohibit residents from owning chickens, even if the city would allow it.
While a citizen may meet every requirement, community leaders are permitted to deny requests for fowl ownership.
"It's not so much that the neighborhood associations can prevent it," Cotten said. "But if it says you can't have livestock, then the zoning ordinance doesn't trump community regulations."
Despite the new regulations, residents must still have a minimum of three acres of land to slaughter chickens.
The amendment that allows the ownership of chickens was applied to Chapter 4, section 4-2 of the city code and Article 5 of the city's zoning ordinance.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
