Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Backyard Chickens topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Sanford staff proposes lighter rules after survey of nearby cities on backyard chickens
Summary
City staff summarized input from nearby municipalities and recommended avoiding heavy regulation; commissioners asked staff to revise the current rules and return with a proposal in about two meetings.
Tony Vermundo of Development Services presented a review of backyard chicken programs in neighboring jurisdictions and reported low demand and few persistent problems where such programs exist.
Vermundo said municipalities he surveyed found the main complaints centered on roosters, loose animals and unpermitted flocks but that many cities reported the programs “run smoothly” and that demand appears low: Winter Garden reported fewer than 10 applications; Maitland and Longwood reported roughly 10–12 applications where caps exist. He summarized lessons learned: avoid overregulation, include an educational component and consider predator-proof coops and practical application processes.
Commissioners discussed whether Sanford’s current 150-foot setback requirement could be relaxed to increase participation and debated inspection frequency and enforcement. One commissioner suggested scrapping an inherited ordinance and rebuilding a “reasonable” program from scratch. The discussion repeatedly emphasized not overcomplicating rules so the program would be accessible and workable for residents.
Staff asked for direction to revise the current recommendations. The commission requested a formal proposal to return in about two commission meetings. A staff member said the timeline would put a proposal in June, given the meeting schedule. No code change was adopted at the work session; staff will draft a revised application and ordinance language based on the feedback and report back to the commission.
