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Spring Hill discusses allowing more backyard hens based on lot size
Summary
In a work‑session discussion the board considered an amendment to the city’s chicken ordinance that would base the allowable number of hens on lot size (1,500 sq ft per hen); staff said it would use recorded lot sizes for permitting and recommended the change.
Board members and staff discussed a proposed amendment to Spring Hill’s chicken ordinance during a work‑session item June 2 that would base the allowable number of hens on property size, rather than a single flat limit.
Alderman Fuqua introduced the topic, saying the current code permits four hens per lot in most residential zones and that the proposed change would allow one hen per 1,500 square feet of lot area. “For most residents in the city of Spring Hill, it does not change. It's gonna be 4 chickens. However, those that have half acre lots, 3 quarter acre, are then allowable more chickens as the space increases,” Fuqua said.
A staff member presented the draft approach and calculations. “If you, let's say, have a 10,000 square foot lot, the calculation gives you 6.6667 hens. So we would round that down to 6 hens,” the staff member said. Staff told the board this square‑footage approach is a common standard among U.S. cities and said the proposed ordinance is consistent with national trends.
Key clarifications from staff and the discussion: - The proposal would set 1,500 square feet of lot area per hen and would round down fractional results to a whole number of hens. - The amendment would permit only hens (no roosters were allowed under the discussion) and would continue existing enclosure, setback and “no running at large” requirements; permitted hens must be enclosed and may not run at large. - Homeowners association (HOA) restrictions remain private covenants and would not be enforced by the city; a property owner within an HOA would still be issued a city permit but would remain subject to HOA rules and enforcement. - Staff recommended permitting based on recorded lot acreage/platted lot sizes rather than on‑site inspections to reduce workload on code inspectors.
Board reaction was mixed but generally supportive of moving the item forward to ordinance consideration. Alderman Davis said she was not opposed to chickens but sought clarity on enforcement and nuisance safeguards; other members noted most suburban lots are small and the change would primarily affect larger, older lots that historically allowed more agricultural uses.
Next steps: staff will draft ordinance language reflecting the 1,500‑square‑foot standard, include required setback and enclosure language, and present the draft for first reading at a future meeting. The item was moved forward for further consideration and no final ordinance vote took place on June 2.
