Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Poultry Appeal topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Applicant Nancy Waters withdraws appeal to keep two chickens at 24 Ahern Avenue
Summary
Nancy Waters withdrew an appeal of Citation No. 843 asking to be allowed to keep two pet chickens at 24 Ahern Avenue; the board said chickens are regulated as poultry with coop setback requirements rather than as farm animals, and no vote was taken.
Nancy Waters withdrew an appeal to the Windsor Locks Board of Zoning Appeals seeking permission to keep two pet chickens at 24 Ahern Avenue, the board heard during its meeting.
The board opened a public hearing on application FY252605 after staff read that Waters had appealed Citation No. 843, which she said conflicted with section 2‑15(b) of the local code. A board member explained that under the town's rules chickens are treated as poultry rather than as "farm animals," which carry a separate two‑acre requirement, and that the operative rule for poultry focuses on coop setbacks.
"Chickens need to be — the coop has to be a 100 feet from each property line," a board member said during the discussion, describing how the poultry rules differ from the farm‑animal standards. The board noted that a coop setback — not acreage — is the primary zoning constraint for keeping chickens in town.
Board members reported that Waters had removed the coop and said the animals were placed with a friend outside Windsor Locks. "She withdrew the chickens," the chair said, and the board indicated no formal vote was needed once the applicant came into compliance.
The meeting record also noted an earlier related application, FY245242509, had been withdrawn after the applicants obtained the outcome they sought at a planning and zoning meeting. A board member added that roughly 12–14 residents have been brought into compliance with the town's chicken regulations through prior enforcement and follow‑up efforts.
The board approved the minutes of its Sept. 2 meeting and noted an abstention by a member who said they had not been present at that prior meeting. Members discussed that the town election was the next day and that ZBA membership could shift depending on results; the meeting adjourned on a motion by Neil Cunningham, seconded by Jim Cannon.
No formal action was taken on application FY252605 because the applicant withdrew the appeal after removing the coop and animals. The board did not set any additional deadlines or follow‑up requirements on the file during the meeting.
