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Lakeville council weighs loosening chicken rules: materials, flock size and egg sales discussed
Summary
At a work-session the council debated allowing nonwood coop materials, raising the maximum hens from three to six or eight, and whether residents should be allowed to sell eggs; staff were asked to research code changes and best practices.
City staff reviewed Lakeville27s existing chicken rules during a March 16 work-session: the zoning ordinance requires an administrative permit, limits residents to three hens, prohibits roosters, and requires coops be constructed of wood and set back in rear yards. Staff said 92 administrative permits have been issued since the ordinance27s adoption in 2018.
Councilmembers debated several potential changes. Councilmember Walter proposed allowing composite or nonwood coop materials to improve durability and reduce maintenance; an educator who teaches chickens community-education classes told the council that composite materials can be more durable and easier to predator-proof. "Composite materials would be a wonderful addition to be able to make coops more secure," the educator said during public comment.
Councilmembers also discussed raising the maximum number of hens from three to six (or up to eight in some proposals) to make backyard flocks more practical, while retaining rules to prevent commercial-scale operations. Council members expressed different preferences: some favored keeping the permit requirement for oversight, others said the permit should be optional for very small flocks. Several lawmakers emphasized that increasing the allowed number of birds should be linked to minimum coop square footage and setback requirements for smaller lots.
The council also questioned the city27s prohibition on selling eggs. One councilmember noted state law allows small-scale direct sales below a high threshold and suggested the city could permit limited, neighbor-to-neighbor egg sales while retaining food-safety requirements. Members raised public-safety concerns about heat lamps and recommended staff add safety language to any rewrite.
No ordinance change was adopted. Councilmembers asked staff to return with ordinance options that address coop materials, flock size, setbacks, permit fees and whether limited egg sales should be permitted, along with comparisons to neighboring cities' regulations.
