Lake Bluff committee conditionally approves chicken license for 221 East Scranton Ave.

The Lake Bluff Sustainability & Conservation Committee on Feb. 17 recommended that the village administrator approve a backyard animal license allowing six chickens at 221 East Scranton Avenue, contingent on a relocation and inspection.

Anastasia Lupukin and Peter Besser applied for the license after the previous owners left the chickens and the applicants agreed to care for them. Shelton, a village staff inspector, said he conducted an inspection and found sanitation and cleanliness acceptable but identified a zoning setback concern: accessory structures normally must be at least 5 feet from the property line unless no dimension exceeds 10 feet, in which case a 2.5‑foot setback can apply. The applicant told the committee the existing run sits along the fence line and that he would move the structure as required when the ground thaws.

Neighbor Harry Nicholl, who lives at 224 East Center, said his patio and outdoor dining area are adjacent to the corner of the applicants’ yard and raised concerns about potential smell and noise and about the timing of the application, noting the chickens were already on site when the committee considered the license. "We're not opposed to chickens," Nicholl said, "but placement on the property is a third. . . . We just have a concern about some of the environmental concerns have to do with smell, noise, and so on that could impact us."

Applicants described options to shorten the run and move the coop to the east side of the garage, using the short leg of their L‑shaped run to gain more interior yard space. Committee members asked the applicant to provide an updated schematic showing the run and coop positioned to meet the applicable setback and asked staff to inspect the revised plan in person.

Committee members moved to approve the license conditionally "on the receipt, approval and inspection of the movement of the chicken run and coop" to the east side of the garage. The motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. The committee noted requirements discussed in the meeting, including minimum space per bird: the applicant was told the ordinance requires roughly 4 square feet per bird in the enclosure, meaning the six birds need at least 24 square feet of run space.

Next steps: the applicant will submit an updated schematic for Shelton to review and inspect; the committee recommended that the village administrator issue the license if the revised placement complies with the zoning allowances discussed at the meeting.