Resident asks Harrisburg to allow backyard hens on half-acre lots, presents 250-signature petition

Tina Hodes, a Harrisburg resident, asked the council to revise the Unified Development Ordinance to allow backyard chickens on properties of one-half acre or larger and to permit up to six hens with no roosters. “I am asking for this matter to be put on the agenda, discussed, and voted on,” Hodes said, noting she submitted a petition with more than 250 signatures and that roughly 70% of signees identified local ZIP codes.

Hodes said the current rule allows chickens only on lots of two acres or more and called the restriction “an outdated 25-year-old ordinance” that contrasts with nearby towns such as Concord and Kannapolis. She urged the council to avoid permitting fees and instead continue complaint-driven oversight while citing perceived benefits including fresh eggs, composting of food scraps, reduced pesticide use and modest property-value gains cited in private-market research she provided to council.

Hodes recommended modeling the proposal on a neighboring municipality’s ordinance that allows hens without permits and relies on nuisance enforcement, and she specified no roosters and enclosures to protect neighbors. She asked council to place the matter on a future agenda for formal consideration and a vote.

Staff did not commit to an immediate ordinance change during the meeting and directed the request to planning staff for follow up. The council may place zoning or UDO changes on a future agenda for public hearing and formal action.