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Planning commission recommends clarifying chicken-coop rules, adds construction standards
Summary
After public comment, the North Ogden City Planning Commission voted 4–0 to recommend amending Title 11-9M-10 to remove inconsistent distance requirements for chicken coops, clarify that accessory-building rules apply, and add a construction standard requiring all-weather exterior materials.
The North Ogden City Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend changes to chicken-keeping rules in Title 11-9M-10 after a public hearing that included neighbors and property owners.
Scott Hess, community and economic development director, told the commission the existing code contains inconsistent setback language that effectively makes chicken coops infeasible on many standard residential lots. "This effectively makes chicken coops illegal in 90 plus percent of the residential homes in North Ogden," Hess said, describing a 50-foot/75-foot/100-foot formulation that staff believes was never intended to apply to a small backyard coop.
Staff proposed removing the inconsistent, large-distance references from the land-use section and relying on accessory-building standards (which include a 25-foot adjacency standard to neighboring dwellings) and the accessory-building design requirements. Hess told the commission the change would allow more households to lawfully keep a small number of chickens while retaining enforcement language for health, sanitation and nuisance issues.
Several members of the public addressed the commission. Resident Paula Magnuson urged stronger construction and appearance standards for coops, saying some existing coops are built from tarps and scrap materials and create neighborhood concerns: "I would strongly encourage you to...not tarps and old crappy wood," she said. Resident William Decker said he supports easing setback rules and suggested allowing roosters in some cases, while emphasizing enforcement of cleanliness and rodent control.
Commissioners discussed lot-size constraints, the difference between small coops and larger agricultural structures, and where coop rules are duplicated in city code. The commission recommended that the draft amendment be forwarded to the City Council with added language that coops "shall not be constructed of scrap or dilapidated materials and shall be finished with all-weather exterior materials," and that the land-use chart explicitly note any R-15 exclusion for clarity. The motion carried 4–0; the City Council will consider the legislative change.
