Committee approves pilot allowing up to six hens per property with conditions and staff follow-up

The West Chicago Development Committee approved a one-year pilot to allow backyard chickens on residential properties, setting a maximum of six hens per property and directing staff to refine implementation details including minimum lot size, maximum coop size, setbacks, registration and enforcement procedures.

Staff told the committee the draft ordinance was modeled on neighboring communities and reflected feedback from local coop operators who attended the Plan Commission meeting. Committee members questioned specifics of the proposal, including whether runs must be orientated away from property lines, whether coop runs are movable, and how enforcement would work. Alderman Matthew Myers pressed for clarity on run mobility and suggested a voluntary registration form so owners would acknowledge rules; the committee agreed a registration form would help code enforcement know where coops are located.

The committee discussed lot-size limits and alternatives. The draft ordinance uses a 6,500-square-foot minimum lot size to qualify for chickens; several aldermen said setbacks and lot-coverage limits might better address neighborhood impacts than a rigid minimum and asked staff to review parcel data to assess equity across wards. Staff said setbacks and lot coverage would still apply and that the 6,500 number was patterned from neighboring communities and is subject to further review.

Committee members also raised public-health and nuisance concerns. The committee decided not to allow on-site slaughtering of chickens and agreed to consult the health department about rules on egg sales and handling. Staff said enforcement would be complaint-based with an initial door-hanger or notice, and that fines start at $150 and can increase for repeat violations (up to a cited figure of $750 per day mentioned during the discussion).

Alderman Chris Swiatek moved the motion to approve the pilot with the committee’s requested follow-ups; Alderman Melissa Birch Ferguson seconded. The roll-call vote recorded Aye votes from Aldermen Swiatek, Birch Ferguson, Alcántar-García, Carreto-Muñoz, Myers and Stout and the motion passed. The committee directed staff to return with any substantive changes after researching maximum coop sizes, lot-size alternatives (setbacks/lot coverage), and health-department guidance on egg sales. The pilot will be reviewed after one year.

Implementation tasks assigned to Planning & Zoning include drafting registration materials, clarifying permitted coop/run dimensions and setbacks, and providing a map of affected wards and lot sizes for equity review.