After hours of testimony, Warren County supervisors table proposed rooster exception for rewrite and public charrette

A proposed zoning amendment to allow one rooster on Residential‑1 lots of an acre or larger prompted an extended public hearing Jan. 20 as dozens of residents, property‑owners association representatives, farmers, and school agriculture program advocates testified both for and against the narrow change.

Planning staff explained the draft amendment would add an exception to section 180‑35.1 to allow one rooster on qualifying lots, with conditions including confinement to an insulated coop between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. The Planning Commission had forwarded the amendment to the Board with a recommended denial, citing enforceability and nuisance concerns.

Supporters argued the allowance was narrow, preserves rural character, supports 4‑H/FFA education and small‑scale food production, and that neighboring jurisdictions allow similar rules. Amber Martin, a realtor and chicken keeper, said the amendment was narrowly written and that noise or husbandry concerns should be addressed by drafting specifics rather than outright denial. Several speakers, including FFA instructors and students, described the educational value of backyard poultry.

Opponents, including Carol Phillips (Pine Knob Owners Association) and many residents, said the term “insulated coop” lacks measurable standards, enforcement would be difficult, and roosters’ noise could harm quiet enjoyment in residential neighborhoods. A petition presented at the hearing listed several hundred signatures in favor but the board noted some signatures appeared to be from outside the county and flagged that for follow up.

After discussion, the board closed the public hearing and voted to table the ordinance and send it back to planning staff and the planning commission for refinement, including the possibility of a public charrette and clearer noise/enforcement language; the item was tabled to the board’s second regular meeting in March.