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Sunset council eases backyard-chicken limits, approves minor planning-commission bylaw change
Summary
The Sunset City Council unanimously approved amendments to city code 10-5A-7 to lower the minimum lot size for chickens and expand coop size and height standards. The council also approved a minor bylaws change for the planning commission. Both votes passed without dissent.
The Sunset City Council on April 21 voted unanimously to amend city code 10-5A-7, loosening several rules that govern ownership and maintenance of backyard chickens in single-family residential zones. Council members said the changes respond to resident requests and include clearer standards for coop construction.
Ricky, a planning staff member, told the council the package trims the minimum lot size from 8,000 square feet to 6,000, allows more birds on larger lots (up to 15 depending on property size), reduces the setback from neighboring homes to 25 feet, raises the maximum enclosure to 200 square feet and permits coop heights up to 10 feet. "So we don't have a bunch of junky coupes," he said when describing new construction and closure standards intended to keep coops well built.
The planning commission drafted the proposal and presented it to council staff before the hearing. During the public-hearing portion, Catherine Hunter, who introduced herself and gave her address, supported the changes, saying many chicken owners "do a really good job of maintaining their chickens, and they love them like family."
After brief clarifying questions from council members, the chair called a roll-call vote. The motion to approve the amendments carried unanimously. The council did not attach additional restrictions beyond the standards presented; staff will update code text and administrative guidance for enforcement.
On the same motion cycle the council also approved a planning-commission bylaw amendment that staff described as primarily a scheduling/date change on page 4 (a shift from "third" to "second" for a referenced meeting). Council members discussed that the bylaw revision was minor and procedural; the council approved it by roll call with no objections.
What happens next: staff will publish the amended ordinance language and the planning commission will continue implementation under the revised bylaws. Enforcement will follow existing code-compliance processes and the city indicated it will provide updated guidance for residents who plan to construct new coops.
