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Amherst resident seeks exception to backyard fowl limit after 12 years of keeping chickens
Summary
A resident told the Zoning Board he has kept 13 chickens for about 12 years and asked for a variance from the municipal limit of four fowl on lots under one acre; the board deferred formal action and will notify the applicant in writing within 14 days.
The Amherst Zoning Board of Appeals heard a request from Mister Ryan Banas of 5506 Lynn Road for a variance to keep 13 fowl on a property smaller than one acre.
Banas told the board he has kept chickens for roughly 12 years and submitted the variance after receiving a letter notifying him that his flock exceeds the municipal limit. "I've had the chickens for, like, 12 years," Banas said, adding that he has not received complaints and that the coop is a prebuilt structure placed next to the shed.
The board cited the ordinance language noted on the agenda (transcript reference: Chapter 11 5 0 5 13 a 4), which the agenda summarizes as permitting no more than four fowl in an R-1 district on lots under one acre. Board members asked about property dimensions; the applicant said the lot is roughly 75 by 225 feet and that the coop is sized to house about a dozen birds.
No final vote on the variance was taken during open session. The chair told Banas the board would consider the item in deliberative session and that he would receive written notice of the decision within 14 days.
What’s next: Staff will include the item in deliberation; the board’s final decision or any conditions will be issued in writing to the applicant.
