North Huntingdon to hold hearing on backyard chicken rules

The controversy over regulating backyard chickens in North Huntingdon was back before the township commissioners Wednesday when the seven-member board once again split over whether to amend existing rules governing poultry in a neighborhood.

The board majority on Wednesday let stand a decision to hold a public hearing at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 11 at the North Huntingdon Town House on the issue of giving residents the option of obtaining a conditional use permit if they want to raise chickens on property of less than 10 acres in certain residential neighborhoods. Those wanting the permit would have to present their case before the zoning hearing board.

Commissioners Jason Atwood, Brian Blasko, Zachary Haigis and Ronald Zona opposed an attempt by commissioners Fran Bevan, Eric Gass and Virginia Stump to keep the current zoning ordinance intact that requires residents to have at least 10 acres in order to raise chickens in certain neighborhoods.

Had it passed, it would have eliminated the need for residents to get a conditional use permit, but would have limited the areas where the chickens — no roosters — could be raised.

People wanting to raise up to four chickens — no roosters — in their backyard would have to pay a $590 fee for a public hearing before the zoning hearing board, as required by those seeking such a permit. The fee usually is $700.

The debate among the board factions over changes to the zoning ordinance dragged on last year for about five months.

Opinions ranged from keeping the current ordinance to permitting the poultry on a parcel as small as 10,000 square feet.

The option of requiring a conditional use permit for raising backyard chickens was approved last year as a compromise by the board majority, which Haigis said was “the next best option.”

Stump had proposed dropping any attempt to require those raising chickens to get a conditional use permit because it would be “discriminatory,” too costly for many families who want to raise the chickens. The conditional use permit has added more layers of bureaucracy to obtain a permit for raising chickens, she said.

“I don’t think anyone would pay $590,” to raise chickens. Instead, the township should leave the current policy in place, said Stump, who proposed last year that the chickens be permitted on a 10,000-square-foot parcel.

Bevan pointed out that when the Westmoreland County Planning Department reviewed the matter, it also believed the permit fee was too high and it may be overly burdensome.

The majority was willing allow backyard chickens on property smaller than 10 acres, but could not get others to agree on a compromise, Zona said.

The township last year cited two families over alleged violations to the ordinance on chickens in a residential neighborhood, but have not pursued the matter because of the ongoing debate over the ordinance.

If residents don’t have an option of seeking a conditional use permit to raise chickens on less than 10 acres in a neighborhood, people who want the chickens will return to the meetings like last year, Blasko said.

“We just keep on contradicting ourselves over this,” Zona said.