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Backyard‑chicken ordinance continued to Sept. 14 after extensive public comment and technical questions
Summary
Commissioners continued Ordinance 2552‑2026 (backyard chickens) to Sept. 14, 2026, after staff described rules (up to four hens in specified residential zones in East Stuart), proposed exclusions for parcels adjacent to named waterways, and commissioners requested clearer setback/definition language, coop height limits, and renter/owner consent requirements.
The Stuart City Commission continued consideration of an ordinance that would permit backyard chickens in specified residential zoning districts within East Stuart, after lengthy public comment and detailed commissioner questions about shoreline setbacks, coop dimensions, and administration.
Staff presented a draft ordinance that would allow up to four hens as an accessory use on occupied detached single‑family and duplex properties in R‑1, R‑1A, R‑2, urban neighborhood and certain single‑family districts. The draft includes a proposed prohibition on coops and chickens on parcels directly adjacent to the shoreline of named water bodies — including the St. Lucie River, Popleton Creek, Fraser Creek, Haney Creek, Kruger Creek and Willoughby Creek — to address runoff risks cited in the comprehensive plan.
Commissioners pressed staff for precision: several requested that the term “adjacent” be translated into a numerical setback (feet from mean high water), asked whether existing urban agriculture parcels would qualify, proposed a 7‑foot coop height, and recommended that duplex/rental situations require a property‑owner consent on file. Staff and the city attorney noted mean‑high‑water setbacks can require surveys and recommended a categorical exclusion for parcels abutting listed waterways as a practical approach; the development director offered to draft precise language.
Public comment included many residents in favor of regulated backyard hens for food security and sustainability, and others urging caution about environmental and enforcement costs. Speakers included residents who said they already keep hens responsibly and extension‑service advocates who offered training resources; opponents cited potential manure runoff and the city's need to estimate regulatory costs.
To allow time to craft clarified setback language, an explicit approach for duplex/rental properties, coop dimension standards, and a recommended enforcement/fee structure, the commission voted unanimously to continue the matter to a specific future meeting date (September 14, 2026).
