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Rockaway Township Council introduces ordinance to regulate backyard chickens
Summary
On Feb. 25, 2025 the Rockaway Township Council voted to introduce Ordinance 02501, proposed changes to Chapter 54 (land use) that would regulate raising and keeping chickens on residential properties; the introduction passed on a roll call vote (5 yes, 2 no, 1 abstain).
The Rockaway Township Council on Feb. 25, 2025 voted to introduce Ordinance 02501, an amendment to Chapter 54 of the township code that would create regulations for residents who raise and keep chickens on residential properties. Council President Morrison presided over the roll-call vote, which passed with five yes votes, two no votes and one abstention.
Council members did not adopt the ordinance at the meeting; introduction sends the proposal to subsequent hearings and staff review before a final vote. The ordinance was described on the agenda as an “amend[ment] to its regulations pertaining to the raising and keeping of chickens on Residential Properties.”
The item drew no recorded substantive public debate during the introduction; a later public commenter, Michael Alard, noted that the item had been introduced rather than adopted and urged the council to consider avian-flu risks when drafting rules. The council did not take final action on the ordinance at the Feb. 25 meeting. The next procedural step is continued review and scheduling for future consideration and formal adoption votes if the council chooses to move forward.
