Orono planners direct staff to draft redlines to allow limited hens, doves and pigeons on smaller lots

The Orono Planning Commission advanced a staff‑initiated text amendment on May 19 to ease some restrictions on keeping certain birds and to clarify animal‑keeping definitions in city code. Commissioners asked staff to prepare redline ordinance language and schedule a public hearing.

Staff presentation (Mr. Carney) proposed four new definitions and a 'domestic poultry' category to allow limited birds on smaller lots (examples given in staff discussion: about five birds for a half‑acre, 10 for one acre, 20 for two acres as a scaling concept), while keeping farm animals subject to animal‑unit rules and acreage minimums (farm animals still restricted to 2+ acres). "I think the ballpark I'm seeing is between 4 and 6," Carney said when explaining staff thinking on domestic‑poultry counts.

Key points from the commission discussion: • Species scope: Commissioners favored limiting the small‑lot allowance to hens (female chickens), doves and pigeons; ducks, geese, turkeys and guinea hens were identified as more disruptive and better treated as farm animals on larger lots. • Roosters: Commissioners sought to exclude roosters from the small‑lot allowance to limit noise and neighbor disturbance. • Setbacks and coop placement: Staff proposed changing coop setbacks from the current 150‑ft/75‑ft regime to principal‑structure setbacks for many properties, and discussed additional protections for very narrow or corner lots; commissioners discussed options such as a minimum distance to neighboring structures (examples discussed: 40–50 ft) or requiring coops be in rear yards. • Lakeshore districts and CUP: Most commissioners supported making domestic poultry an administrative accessory use on eligible small lots, while at least one commissioner preferred retaining a conditional‑use permit requirement in lakeshore districts. • Wetlands and animal units: Staff proposed excluding wetlands from acreage calculations and applying animal‑unit rules once a property hits 2 acres.

Commissioners asked staff to refine the language (remove ambiguity such as "include but not limited to," consider clarifying livestock definitions, list excluded species such as captive cervids) and to coordinate with police/public protections and the watershed on any related rules. Staff said it would prepare redline text for an ordinance and present it at a public hearing; the commission indicated it was comfortable moving the item to that next step.