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Planning commission backs rewrite to allow six hens in low- and moderate-density areas with 25-foot setbacks
Summary
The commission agreed to amend local ordinance language to permit up to six confined hens as a permitted use in low- and moderate-density residential districts with a 25-foot setback; high-density areas remain conditional. It voted to forward the change to the county commission.
The Yankton County Planning Commission on June 10 agreed to revised language for backyard hens that would make six hens a permitted use in low-density (R1) and moderate-density (R2) residential districts, require confinement, and add a 25-foot setback from all property lines. High-density (R3) areas would remain a conditional use subject to CUP review.
Commissioners said the change is intended to balance rural character with neighbor protections; one commissioner recommended shortening an earlier sentence so the requirement reads simply "confined, period." Commissioners also discussed enforcement limits under a complaint-driven system and agreed that the county lacks bandwidth for proactive enforcement, which informed the decision to use concise, enforceable language.
After discussion, the panel moved and voted unanimously to send the revised ordinance language to the county commission for consideration.
