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Council denies request to keep backyard chickens at 70237 Chaucer Drive
Summary
The City Council denied a petition to allow up to four egg-laying hens at 70237 Chaucer Drive after neighbors objected and council members said the lot and proximity to adjacent properties made the request unsuitable.
The Richmond City Council voted to deny a petition from a soon-to-be homeowner to keep egg-laying chickens at 70237 Chaucer Drive.
Petitioner Kyle Deeds told council he planned to buy the property and wanted “to purchase some chickens for eggs” to provide food for his new household. City staff said the property is about 0.22 acres with 76 feet of frontage on Chaucer and 130 feet deep; city staff notified seven neighboring properties and received two written objections from adjacent residents.
Council members reviewed the location and past decisions on chicken requests. Several councilors said the subdivision’s lots around the requested site are smaller than other parts of town where the council had approved coops, and that nearby neighbors expressed opposition. Councilors noted past approvals included larger lot sizes or changes such as privacy fences that reduced visibility from neighbors’ yards.
After discussion the council made a motion to deny the petition. The motion passed; council members said the decision reflected the proximity of neighboring houses and the expressed objections from adjacent property owners rather than a blanket policy against urban chickens.
Ending — The petitioner was told the council’s decision stands; council members suggested new homeowners discuss neighbor concerns and possible mitigation (for example, privacy fencing) before reapplying in the future.
