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Dardenne Prairie clarifies backyard chicken rules, limits coops to R1A one‑acre lots
Summary
Officials said confusion across zoning and animal regulations prompted an amendment to city code (section 205.085) clarifying chickens are permitted only in R1A single‑family districts; staff will publish an FAQ and conduct HOA outreach and correct code citations before final adoption.
Dardenne Prairie aldermen discussed and moved to correct language in city code to make clear that backyard chickens are permitted only in the R1A single‑family zoning district, which corresponds to a one‑acre minimum lot size.
“Chickens are addressed in two sections of city code…so what we’ve done is the city attorney has amended the section 205.085 of our code related to providing for the regulation of domesticated animals to clarify and add the language that they’re only allowed in the R1A single family district,” City Administrator Kathy Pratt said.
City Attorney statements during the discussion flagged several technical errors in the draft ordinance’s operative language and citations. The attorney said multiple references to section numbers and subsection letters in the draft are incorrect and requested that staff amend the ordinance’s operative language to reflect the correct code citations.
Board members focused on the practical effect of the change: R1A corresponds to a one‑acre (approximate) lot, so the draft will replace older wording that mentioned "10,000 square feet or more" with a clear "1 acre" requirement. Pratt also said staff will publish a plain‑language FAQ on the city website and coordinate an educational campaign with homeowners associations to help residents determine whether their lots qualify.
Staff noted enforcement is a separate matter. If a property in a non‑R1A district has backyard chickens, it would not conform to the zoning use and could be subject to enforcement actions under the city code; the transcript records statements that enforcement approaches and distance requirements will need separate review.
Next steps: staff will correct the ordinance citations, incorporate the 1‑acre language, prepare the FAQ and HOA outreach, and return the amended ordinance for board action.
