North Huntingdon debating backyard chicken regulations

North Huntingdon officials are battling over proposed regulations that would govern how backyard chickens can be raised without infringing on neighbors’ peace and tranquility.

An ordinance the planning commission recommended for approval this week would permit chickens to be raised on property of at least 1 acre; the existing rules require at least 10 acres. The ordinance would limit the flock to six hens — no roosters — and require the hen house be placed at least 20 feet from the property line and 40 feet from any neighboring house. The recommendation was forwarded to the township commissioners, who could vote on it this month.

Virginia Stump, a planning commission member who opposed the proposed ordinance, said residents already are raising chickens on a quarter-acre plot and no one is complaining. She would rather see residents have the freedom to use their land.

North Huntingdon is not set up to handle the potential issues of regulating and enforcing the ordinance, planning director Ryan Fonzi said in a report. There already are a number of properties where backyard chickens are being kept and most of those are in violation of the zoning ordinance, Fonzi noted. Subjective complaints of noise and odor are hard to identify and enforce.

Planner Joe Dykta said it is the township’s fault for not enforcing the existing ordinance.

There will be “enforcement problems if you have it on one-fourth acre or one-half acre,” Stump said. “You better have five people to enforce this.”

Bill Chapman, commission president, voted to recommend approval of the ordinance. He said he would not be happy to move into a neighborhood and find chickens next door.

“You don’t consider residential subdivision for livestock,” Chapman said.

Commission member Tom Kerber, who has a farm, said officials should think about the potential health problems associated with having chickens, noting there have been multiple outbreaks of salmonella linked to the animals.

Planning commission member James Flynn suggested that if one-half acre would be sufficient for chickens, he acknowledged some residents would seek a variance to put the animals on a smaller parcel.

Even if a resident’s property would be of sufficient size for chickens, Stump pointed out that if a covenant governing a planned residential development does not permit any livestock, that supersedes any ordinance that would allow it based on property size.

Another issue for the township is how to handle situations where families have chickens on property of less than an acre. Chapman said that will be a matter for the township solicitor.

Brian Blasko, township commissioner, said he considers backyard chickens and ducks to be farm animals, not pets. However, he said he would be open to permitting chickens in a larger parcel.

Commissioner Eric Gasse said he is in favor of backyard chickens, which can help people be self-sufficient by providing them with food. Any hen house must be properly maintained so as not to be a detriment to the neighborhood, he noted.

North Huntingdon is not alone in dealing with backyard chickens.

Unity officials have fielded complaints from a Lawson Heights resident whose neighbor has chickens and roosters and three coops in their backyard. The resident is promoting an online petition that seeks to ban backyard chickens in a residential neighborhood.

Supervisor Mike O’Barto said he expects the issue will be discussed at a supervisors’ workshop meeting at 4:30 p.m. because he has been “innudated” with phone calls about the issue.

The existing ordinance permits homeowners one chicken per acre, O’Barto said. The issue has come to a head because warning notices were sent to some owners of backyard chickens.

The supervisors will have to decide whether to modify the existing ordinance or let it stand as written, O’Barto said.

In Irwin, a family on Cedar Street won a zoning battle with the borough last year to keep 10 chickens they had in a backyard hen house. The borough’s ordinance officer had issued the family a warning notice that chickens were not permitted in a residential area.

Hempfield dealt with the issue in 2016, when officials gave a family permission to keep four chickens because they were described as providing comfort to a teenage girl.