Resident presents petition asking council to consider allowing backyard chickens; council to consider zoning text amendment

Rebecca Hamilton, a Mooresville resident, presented a petition and a draft ordinance proposal during public comments on May 6 asking the council to consider amending the town zoning code to permit backyard chickens.

Hamilton said she gathered 247 signatures in about 12 days and circulated a proposed draft amendment that would permit small backyard flocks, require enclosed coops and runs, and include setbacks, predator protection and other standards similar to ordinances in other Indiana cities. Hamilton cited benefits such as local food production, educational value and low‑impact husbandry for many households.

Council members and staff explained that allowing backyard chickens would require a text amendment to the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO). One staff member said the process involves review, notice and public hearings and that the council could take the request under advisement and begin the zoning‑text amendment process if it wished. Hamilton said some comparable cities allow six to 12 hens and that roosters are typically restricted; the council did not take immediate action beyond taking the proposal under consideration.

Why it matters: A zoning text change would modify permissible uses and potentially affect properties across the town; it would require public outreach and regulatory language to address setbacks, sanitation and compatibility with homeowners’ associations.

Next steps: Council staff said they would take the request under advisement and that the formal process for a UDO text amendment would be required before any ordinance change.