Peachtree City planning panel tells council not to adopt broad backyard-chicken ordinance, suggests one-acre minimum if pursued

Peachtree City staff presented a zoning text amendment on Oct. 14 proposing limited allowances for backyard chickens, and the Planning Commission voted to recommend that City Council not adopt a broad ordinance. If City Council chooses to pursue an allowance, the commission recommended a requirement that chickens be permitted only on lots larger than about 43,000 square feet with an appropriate permitting process.

City staff (Robin) told commissioners the Council requested the discussion as a priority and said the draft takes elements from other suburban municipal codes. To prevent unintended animals and noise, staff recommended defining a chicken narrowly as “a female pullet or hen of the Gallus gallus domesticus,” which would exclude roosters, peafowl and other noisy or exotic birds. Staff also proposed minimum space standards drawn from University of Georgia guidance: 4 square feet for coops and 10 square feet per bird for enclosed runs. Staff recommended coops be fully enclosed, kept on the property, and set back 20 feet from property lines; the draft places the rules in the zoning ordinance accessory-use section for administrative clarity.

Commissioners raised a range of concerns during a lengthy discussion. Several said private homeowners associations could still restrict chickens by covenant but the city could not enforce HOAs’ private covenants. Commissioners repeatedly identified noise and nuisance risks for smaller-lot neighborhoods; one commissioner said the primary concerns were odors, increased predation and potential rodent attraction. On enforcement questions, staff said animal control generally issues a notice (often a 48-hour period to rehome a rooster) and that most small coops are not currently subject to building permits because they do not meet habitable-structure thresholds in the International Building Code and International Residential Code.

Several commissioners asked the draft to prohibit the sale of eggs and meat; staff agreed to add language to restrict sales. Commissioners debated lot-size thresholds; suggested options ranged from no allowance until 22,000 square feet to restricting any allowance to parcels of at least one acre. With no public speakers on the item, the commission ultimately approved a motion to recommend to City Council that Peachtree City not adopt a general backyard-chicken ordinance and, should Council move forward, that allowances be limited to lots greater than 43,000 square feet with an appropriate permitting process. The commission’s recommendation passed by voice vote.

The commission’s recommendation will be transmitted to City Council for consideration. The City Council is the deciding body for zoning-text amendments.