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Board Signals Support for 20,000‑Square‑Foot Minimum in Draft Chicken Ordinance; Staff to Revise Language
Summary
Township staff presented a draft ordinance to permit domesticated chickens with proposed lot‑size thresholds; the planning commission favored 30,000 sq ft but several supervisors and the county planning commission recommended 20,000 sq ft. Staff will update the draft and return it to planning and county review before advertisement.
Towamencin staff and the planning commission have spent more than a year drafting regulations to allow domesticated chickens in residential areas, and a draft ordinance was presented May 14 for board input. The draft includes a proposed minimum lot size of 30,000 square feet (about 3/4 acre), allows 4 hens with a maximum of 6, bans roosters, regulates sanitary conditions and requires zoning permits for structures and the use.
At the meeting staff showed a township map depicting areas that would qualify under different lot‑size thresholds and summarized county planning commission comments. The county recommended a 20,000 sq ft minimum and several supervisors voiced support for 20,000 during the meeting. One supervisor noted that neighboring municipalities (Whitpaden and Montgomery) have a 20,000‑square‑foot minimum, and members of the board who spoke said they preferred moving the draft back to the planning commission with a 20,000 minimum for further review.
No ordinance was adopted. Staff said they will revise the language based on board comments, take the draft back to the planning commission and county planning commission, and then return to the board with language authorized for advertisement.
