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Bel Air approves ordinance allowing hens on smaller single‑family lots
Summary
The Bel Air Board of Town Commissioners voted unanimously May 4 to adopt Ordinance 859‑26, shrinking the minimum single‑family lot size that allows hens from 10,000 to 5,000 square feet and clarifying that roosters are not permitted.
The Bel Air Board of Town Commissioners voted unanimously May 4 to adopt Ordinance 859‑26, amending the town code to permit residents of most single‑family lots to keep hens (but not roosters) by lowering the minimum lot size requirement from 10,000 to 5,000 square feet.
The motion to adopt the ordinance was offered during unfinished business. The mover told the board the change stemmed from a resident request: a family who bought chicks could not legally keep them as hens under existing rules, and planning staff worked with the board to craft the amendment. "This piece of legislation would open up the raising and owning of hens, not roosters, to just about every single family lot in town," the speaker said.
Supporters said the town has permitted the raising of hens in intervening years without receiving complaints. One commissioner described the change as a nod to the town’s small‑town heritage, and another noted that only a handful of lots would remain below the 5,000‑square‑foot threshold. The ordinance was approved on a roll‑call vote with all commissioners recorded as "Aye."
The measure changes zoning chapter language governing accessory uses and the town’s animals code related to the raising and selling of poultry. The board did not record any public commenters on the item during the public hearing.
The ordinance takes effect according to the town’s standard codification process; staff and town documents should list the effective date and any implementing rules.
