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Resident urges Clinton to loosen residential chicken rules; council asks staff to draft changes
Summary
A Clinton resident asked the council to relax rules on backyard hens, proposing limits of six hens, a 6,000-square-foot minimum lot (down from 10,000) and reduced coop setbacks; councilmembers said staff will research and present options within one to two months.
At the start of the March 25 meeting, resident Rex Griffin told Clinton City Council he was seeking less-restrictive rules for residential chickens. Griffin said Clinton’s current requirements (a 10,000-square-foot minimum lot, a 15-foot setback from property lines, and 35 feet from neighboring structures) effectively prohibit many homeowners from keeping hens. He asked the council to consider allowing up to six hens (no roosters) on single-family lots of at least 6,000 square feet, reduce coop/run setbacks to 5 feet from property lines, and set a 25-foot distance from neighboring structures to align with neighboring cities’ rules.
Council response and next steps Councilmembers thanked Griffin and noted he had provided comparative research from nearby municipalities. Members said staff would review the suggested changes and work on a proposal; one councilmember said staff should be able to bring recommended amendments back for council consideration within roughly one to two months. No formal ordinance change was made at the meeting; the council directed staff to prepare options for possible code amendments.
Background and context Griffin said he discovered his 9,500-square-foot lot was just short of the current 10,000-square-foot minimum when he applied for chickens. He and the council discussed practical constraints such as setbacks making coop placement difficult, and the council asked staff to consider neighboring cities’ standards as a template.
Sources: Public comment by Rex Griffin and council response during March 25 public input session.
