A pair of ordinances being considered by Oakmont Council would add some guidelines regarding food trucks, chickens and beekeeping in the borough.

The first would allow for food trucks to operate throughout Oakmont, said borough Solicitor Jacob Leyland.

The ordinance would permit trucks to be in all zoning districts, but a permit would have to be obtained from the borough, either by the truck’s owner or the person hosting the truck.

“You can’t obtain a permit until you prove that the food truck has passed all necessary inspections and they’ve received a copy of the permit issued by the Department of Agriculture,” Leyland said.

The duration of the permit would be 12 hours, and trucks could be in commercial and industrial zoning districts from 6 a.m. until 10 p.m. Trucks would be able to operate in residential districts between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m.

“For (residential guidelines) we’re envisioning more if somebody wants to hire a food truck for a graduation party or something like that,” Leyland said.

The ordinance stipulates other guidelines, including truck parking restrictions and requirements to secure a permit.

Chickens and bees

Another permit discussed by council deals with the keeping of bees and chickens.

The drafted ordinance addresses both animals, but council member Amanda Pagnotta suggested the guidelines be separated.

“These feel like two very separate issues,” she said.

The section of the ordinance regarding chickens states that a lot must be at least 4,000 square feet to house chickens.

“They have to only be used for private, noncommercial use, so no one’s selling the eggs,” Leyland said. “As long as you’re eating them or giving them away to your friends and family, that would be permitted.”

Residents would be allowed to keep up to six chickens. This number is common across other municipalities with similar ordinances, Leyland said. Roosters would be prohibited, and chickens would be prohibited from roaming free.

“If the chickens are not maintained and the coops and runs aren’t maintained in good condition, that does constitute a nuisance, and we can demand their removal,” Leyland said.

The ordinance states coops and runs must be in the backyards of homes, at least 25 feet from “any adjacent dwellings,” and the height of the coop cannot exceed 6 feet.

With respect to beekeeping, residents would need to be issued a certificate from the borough’s zoning office. Beekeeping would only be permitted on lots that are 20,000 square feet or larger. Someone with at least 40,000 square feet would be permitted to have up to four colonies of bees.

Like chickens, bees would have to be kept in the backyard of the property. Colonies would have to be kept at least 20 feet from all property lines and at least 100 feet from all playgrounds, fields, courts, pools or anywhere the general public might congregate.

Other regulations include signage and netting requirements that would be based on a colony’s distance from the property line.

“Any hives that are exhibiting aggressive behavior are subject to removal,” Leyland said. He said swarming and stinging are examples of aggressive behavior.

“I think the enforcement is nearly impossible,” Pagnotta said. “How are you going to prove that the bees in my yard came from your hive?

“I think the beekeeping (portion of the ordinance) is a complete overreach,” she said.

Both ordinances are subject to change until council votes them into effect. Members will continue to discuss them during future meetings.

“We can have as much discussion on these as we want before making a motion to move forward with anything,” Leyland said.

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