Chickens Come Home to Roost in Upper Dublin
Upper Dublin Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to allow chickens for residential properties.
The Upper Dublin Township Board of Commissioners once again took up the Backyard Chicken ordinance.
Ira Tackel, Board President, said there are a fair number of residents in Upper Dublin that will to have chickens for eggs. Richard Barton, the Township's Code Enforcement Director added that there are some residents in the township that wish to keep chickens as pets, not just for the eggs.
According to the ordinance, which passed unanimously, a lot of one acre or greater can have chickens. On lots less than three acres, residents can have up to six chickens and on greater than three acres, residents can have no more than 12 chickens.
Residents whole live on a half acre or larger are also able to have chickens by special exception, but they have to meet three conditions and go in front of the zoning hearing board. The conditions are:
- The animal shelter must be at least 100 feet from the neighboring residential building
- They must follow the guidelines as set forth in the ordinance, and
- They must meet the general standards for special exception approval as contained in Section 255-174 of the Township Code.
The ordinance prohibits the keeping of roosters and the slaughtering of chickens on a residential property of any size in the township.
Commissioner Ronald Feldman said, "I don't think there's enough space on an acre of land [for chickens]."
"If a resident is opposed to this [ordinance], they can appear before the Zoning Hearing Board to oppose [it]," said Commissioner Chet Derr.
Paul Leonard, Township Manager, added that a majority of the properties in the township are between a half acre and one acre.
The vote on the Backyard Chicken Ordinance was unanimous in favor of approving the allowance of chickens.
Joe
3:43 pm on Wednesday, January 9, 2013
This took at least 4 meetings and 5-6 hours of debate for a non existing problem. There were no complaints, no problems. The nuisance ordinance would have taken care of any problems. This is just another regulation for the sake of regulation. How many more of these type of regulations/ordinances exist??? Sometimes doing NOTHING is doing SOMETHING!!! Meanwhile we have ceded our privacy to the government, allowing them into our homes to let them permit us to sell our private property. It never ends.
Denise
5:14 pm on Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Seriously, this is a silly ordinance! I was not able to attend this township meeting but I have been following this debate closely. I would like to be able to keep chickens for the healthy eggs they lay, not for pets. I don't understand how Ronald Feldman can say that one acre is not enough space to keep chickens. They are not horses or cows or dogs! They are small birds that do not need land to roam and they like to stay near their home. A standard rabbit hutch makes a great chicken coop for 3 chickens. They do not use their house during the day and as soon as they see that it is getting dark, they go inside and go to bed. During the day, they are picking at the ground for bugs and worms. They are the only bird that I know of that will eat stink bugs! They are great composters! A standard of 2 to 4 square feet is recommended to keep chickens in a house/coop. 20 square feet is enough space to keep 12 hens. I was handed 3 chickens a few years ago and had to create a makeshift coop for them in my yard. My neighbors loved the eggs! I did not have them very long but I would like to start raising them again. I would love to go before the committee and discuss this with them. How do I arrange this?
Bob
8:16 am on Thursday, January 10, 2013
The hawks, falcons, and owls will have some good eating during the day when Old McDonald's chickens are roaming free in the back yard.
RuffinPuffin
11:15 am on Thursday, January 10, 2013
Denise, Everything you said about chickens is correct. They need very little space and provide many benefits. I am disappointed that Mr Feldman would speak on ANY issue without doing proper research. He has no facts to back up his statments. In this economy many would people will want to take steps to be more self sustainable and chickens play a vital role.
bthday
1:14 pm on Thursday, January 10, 2013
Glad to see the township wised up.I now think cases of Lyme disease and West Nile will drop in Montco due to the fact that chickens eat mosquitos and ticks
Joe
6:26 pm on Thursday, January 10, 2013
either can barking dogs, roaming cats and quarelling spouses. GMAB
doc
12:29 pm on Friday, January 11, 2013
I certainly hope the township polices the "NO Roosters", because someone in my neighborhood already has one, come around some morning! I love Bob's comment, it is so true, The rabbits are faster and wiser than a chicken and have survived with all the hawks that are in Upper Dublin, they are going to love chicken!