North Huntingdon officials cry foul on backyard chicken ordinance

The months-long debate over keeping chickens in North Huntingdon residential areas will continue after the commissioners rejected a proposed change to the rules on Wednesday.

Commissioners cried foul on adopting an ordinance that would allow residents to obtain a permit to have four hens in a residential district if they have at lot size of 10,000 square feet, a hen house at least 20 feet from any property line and 40 feet from any neighboring home.

The current rule allows chickens on properties of 10 acres or more, effectively banning the birds in residential areas.

Commissioners Jason Atwood, Brian Blasko, Fran Bevan, Zachary Haigis and Ronald Zona voted against the new ordinance, while Eric Gass and Virginia Stump voted for it. Immediately after the vote, Bevan rescinded her opposing vote, but the ordinance still failed.

By rejecting the change, commissioners in October will revisit the issue and consider allowing residents to keep chickens by applying for a special-use permit from the township’s zoning hearing board, said Haigis, board president.

A frustrated Gass said this will only mean that there will be “another month of chickens. I’m ready to put this dog to rest.”

Blasko initially sought to delay a vote so the commissioners could review a special-use permit, which has yet to be developed by the township planning staff. That effort was rejected in a 4-3 vote, with Atwood, Bevan, Gass and Stump opposing. Bevan said she voted against it because a draft of the permit was not prepared.

Blasko claimed that Atwood changed his vote from his position a few minutes before the meeting, a charge Atwood strongly denied. Haigis questioned whether there was a “backdoor meeting” among the four commissioners, which Stump denied.

Zona, a retired state police trooper, questioned how the staff will enforce the ordinance and the cost of that.

Gass said the code enforcement staff told him they will be prepared to enforce it.

Atwood said they could pass an ordinance allowing the chickens on a smaller parcel, as well as consider a special-use permit.

Chickens are allowed in residential neighborhoods in nearby Penn Township. There are 100 residents raising fowl there, but average just one complaint a year, according to Stump, who opposes the requirement of a special-use permit, claiming it would put more of a burden on the township staff.

Craig Yurchison of Falcon Ridge Drive, who has been cited for raising chickens, told the commissioners that “now, it’s a matter of pride” for him to keep the birds.

Yurchison, who urged the board to allow chickens on lots of less than a 1/4-acre, said he was not cited for any odors or neglect of the animals, “just ownership.”

Haigis, who has been steadfast in his opposition to allowing chickens, said the township is dealing with the issue at this time because two residents have been cited for violating the 10-acre rule.