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Malta board weighs limited backyard-chicken license, sets large-lot minimum
Summary
At a town workshop, Malta officials reviewed a draft ordinance to allow backyard hens (maximum six hens, no roosters) while moving toward an application-based, revocable license and endorsing a 40,000-square-foot minimum lot to keep chickens out of most subdivisions; no vote was taken.
The Malta Town Board reviewed a draft ordinance to allow residents to keep backyard hens, but members signaled they want strict limits and an application-based license rather than a zoning change.
Consultant Bob Murphy summarized the draft as circulated, saying it proposed a maximum of six hens, no roosters, and initial minimum-lot language in the draft of 10,000 square feet. Chair (speaking for the board) said the staff and code-enforcement review moved toward a 40,000-square-foot minimum to avoid allowing chickens in typical subdivisions and to make enforcement simpler.
The board discussed coop standards: coops must be enclosed, predator-resistant, weatherproof, ventilated, and kept in the backyard with setbacks from property lines. Members emphasized that hens must be kept in a secure coop and not allowed to roam.
Several board members and staff described an enforcement approach based on an application and a revocable license rather than a special-use zoning permit. One board member proposed an application form that town staff would approve and the town board would adopt as the required license; the form would set conditions, fines, and revocation authority if animals were kept in poor conditions. Another board member flagged the need for an application fee and fines for violations to support enforcement.
Supporters of a licensing approach said it would give the town a clear mechanism to deny or revoke permission in cases of repeated violations; opponents said a strict lot-size threshold would largely keep chickens out of denser neighborhoods. The board also debated whether to allow the sale of surplus eggs; a staff suggestion to allow egg sales as a small accessory sale was noted for future drafting.
The board did not take formal action at the workshop. Staff said they will incorporate the board's direction (including the 40,000-square-foot limit, coop standards and a license/application model) into revised draft language to be circulated for future workshops and public hearings.
Next steps: staff will revise the draft ordinance for later public information centers and formal hearings; no adoption date was set.
