Resident Megan Cody told the Warren County Board of Supervisors during the Oct. 14 working session that she and about 250 supporters want the county to amend the R‑1 residential zoning rules to permit "responsible rooster ownership" under specific conditions.

Cody said her proposal would allow a single rooster on properties of at least one acre (or adjacent owner-occupied lots that combine to at least one acre) and would require housing in a noise-dampening coop with enforced quiet hours between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. She said the petition is intended to support small-scale farming, backyard breeding, flock protection and local food resiliency.

Why it matters: Zoning changes affecting livestock in residential zones touch neighbors' quality of life, public-health and animal-control considerations, and the planning commission is the usual venue for drafting and recommending ordinance amendments. Cody asked the board to refer her draft and petition to planning staff so they can prepare a text amendment for the planning commission to review.

Board response and next steps: Board members agreed to accept Cody’s presentation and to have her materials sent to the planning department. The chairman suggested the presentation be made available by email and by sending it to the planning department so staff can "work up a suitable text amendment" that would follow the usual public review: planning commission recommendation and return to the board for formal consideration. Because the meeting was a work session, supervisors noted that no formal vote could be taken on policy at that time; the referral is an administrative routing rather than a binding change.

What Cody proposed (high-level): minimum lot size 1 acre (or combined owner-occupied lots totaling 1 acre), noise-dampening coops, coops enclosed and not allowed to roam beyond property lines, and coop quiet hours 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. Cody said the petition includes about 250 residents; she presented research on decibel comparisons and cited neighboring counties' rules that allow roosters in some residential zones.

Outstanding questions: County planning staff will need to craft precise ordinance language and definitions (for example, exact measurement of decibel limits, how combined lots are documented, and enforcement mechanisms). The board did not set a timeline; staff confirmed they will receive the materials for review and, if appropriate, prepare a text amendment to follow the planning commission process.