Lyndonville’s proposed chicken ordinance fails to get needed 3 votes

Planning Board chairman seeks compromise to allow 6 hens

Photo by Tom Rivers: The Village of Lyndonville Planning Board discusses a proposed chicken ordinance on Monday. Steve Vann is the chairman, and Justin Edwards, left, and Patti Gawne are members. Two other members, Terry Chaffee and Virginia Hughes, weren’t at the meeting. Village Clerk Teri Woodworth is taking notes.

LYNDONVILLE – The Village of Lyndonville’s Planning Board is trying to reach a compromise to allow residents to have a small flock of up to 6 hens.

The board had a draft ordinance ready on Monday, but failed to get at least three votes for the proposal which would then be forwarded to the Village Board.

Two of the five Planning Board members weren’t at Monday’s meeting. That meant the three remaining members all needed to be in favor of it for it to advance to the Village Board. Justin Edwards cast a nay vote because he doesn’t like the language in the proposed law about neighbor notification. He isn’t convinced having neighbor approval should be required to have hens.

Planning Board Chairman Steve Vann put together the draft ordinance, taking from other municipalities that allow chickens. One of those municipalities requires neighbors to give approval to allow chickens.

Vann wanted to have a majority of neighbors sign off when a resident applied for a permit to have chickens.

Kate Hardner, who has led the effort to have chickens be allowed in Orleans County villages, said neighbor approval shouldn’t be required for chickens. She noted the Health Department and state Department of Agriculture and Markets don’t require regulations for chickens.

She recommended Lyndonville instead have a process where neighbors can file a complaint about chickens, if the owner is not keeping the coops clean, if chickens are wandering off the property or other issues.

Vann said he doesn’t want to put more work on the village code officer in dealing with complaints and oversight.

“We don’t have the resources to be a neighborhood cop,” he said.

There are 457 homes in Lyndonville. Hardner estimates there would be 20 that would want to have chickens.

The Planning Board is proposing a one-time application fee of $25, with pictures of the coop and cage that the chickens would be kept in. The owners would need to reapply for a permit every three years, but wouldn’t be subject to the $25 fee every three years.

They would need neighbor approval every three years, including from any new residents who moved in adjacent to the chicken owner’s property.

Chickens won’t be allowed at duplexes or muti-family residences. They will be restricted to the rear or backyards of properties, and must be at least 30 feet from any door or window of a dwelling, school, church or other occupied structure other than the applicant’s dwelling. They must also be at least 5 feet from a side lot line or 18 inches from a rear lot line, according to the proposal.

The proposed ordinance also states the coops shall not exceed 32 square feet. The chickens must be kept in the coops or a fenced-in area at all times, unless there is a responsible individual directly monitoring the hens.

Vann said he intends to keep working on the ordinance.

“This is a good start,” he said. “We have to start somewhere. We’re trying to find a solution that works for all village residents.”

Hardner thanked the Planning Board for working on the issue. She said she supports the language in the proposal except for requiring neighbor permission.