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Oldtown council enacts zoning amendment on backyard chickens with new construction standard
Summary
The Oldtown City Council approved an amendment to its zoning ordinance allowing residents to keep chickens in specified residential zones, adding a requirement that hen-house materials be of sufficient type and quality; the ordinance was enacted retroactive to Sept. 15, 2025, after brief discussion and a roll-call vote.
The Oldtown City Council voted Dec. 1 to adopt an amendment to its zoning ordinance concerning the keeping of chickens, approving changes to Section 113 and related subsections that apply to several residential zones.
The change, enacted on second reading and made retroactive to Sept. 15, 2025, follows a planning board recommendation and updates to language about acceptable construction materials for hen houses. During the hearing a resident had emailed the council saying parts of the draft read as if they would effectively prohibit chickens in some areas; council members and staff said that was not the intent.
Council discussion focused on a wording change that replaces an allowance for “used materials” with a durability standard for hen-house construction. The council was told the ordinance now requires that materials used in the construction of a hen house be of sufficient type and quality to achieve the standards of the section. A councilor asked whether enforcement would lead to punitive inspections; city staff said enforcement would be handled as a typical code-enforcement matter and that obvious deterioration or rodent access would be the kinds of conditions that fail the standard.
The measure amends zoning subsections listed by the planning board to add permitted uses for the keeping of chickens in R1 (low-density residential), R4 (seasonal residence) and R5 (low-density multifamily) zones. The council recorded the ordinance as passed on second reading; the roll call recorded multiple yes votes and one no vote (tally reported in the transcript: five yes, one no).
Councilors emphasized there is no intent to draft the ordinance in a way that would bar residents from keeping chickens; instead, the change aims to set a minimum material standard for structures to limit public-health and nuisance risks. Travis (city enforcement staff) was cited in discussion as the person who would apply the standard in enforcement situations.
The ordinance takes effect as enacted by the council and staff will proceed with implementation steps identified by the planning department.
