WEST SPRINGFIELD – The West Springfield Town Council will have a public hearing on Nov. 7 to give residents a chance to voice their concerns on the possibility of legalizing backyard chickens.

In August, Mayor William Reichelt made a proposal to Town Council President George Condon III to amend the Town’s Zoning Ordinance to establish a clear “baseline level of standards” for the keeping of hens on residents’ property – there are currently no town laws regarding backyard chickens in residential areas.  

“We’ve gotten some feedback from residents about wanting chickens in town, so we realized we’re better off putting restrictions in place to make sure everything falls under a general rule,” the mayor previously told Reminder Publishing. “I think people who have the time on their hands enjoy having fresh eggs and chickens as pets.”

Backyard chickens, also known as “urban chickens,” are domesticated hens that are kept on residential lots as either pets or for the purposes of laying fresh eggs. The 21st century trend has become so popular that dozens of major cities have revised their animal ordinances. While exact numbers aren’t available, a 2013 Department of Agriculture report found a growing number of residents in Denver, Los Angeles, Miami and New York City express interest in getting chickens.

Reichelt’s proposed amendments address issues relating to the structures, location and amount of hens that may be kept on one’s property through the Zoning Ordinance.

Residents whose lots are less than half an acre will be required to obtain a special permit to keep up to six hens on their property; those with more than half an acre will be permitted to keep up to six hens by right; and those with more than an acre of land will be permitted to keep between six and 18 hens by special permit. The amendments set out minimum coop and run structures based on the amount of hens being kept, and define setback requirements for the location of the structures.

Some of the highlights from Reichelt’s conditions and requirements include:

• The keeping of hens for commercial use shall be prohibited

• Slaughter of hens on the premises shall be prohibited

• Coops shall have a minimum of three square-feet per hen. Coops shall be connected to a fenced run, which shall provide a minimum of 10 square-feet per hen

• All structures used for the keeping of hens shall: be located in the rear yard; be set back a minimum of 15 feet from all lot lines; be located at least 50 feet from any building or structure used for human habitation that is located on abutting property, which shall include property that borders on and directly touches the property border of the applicant as well as property directly opposite the applicant on any public or private street or way; be located at least 200 feet from the high water mark of any known source of drinking water supply tributary thereof, or any surface of water and at least 50 feet from any well. Surface water shall mean all waters other than groundwater, including, without limitation, rivers streams, lakes, ponds, springs, estuaries, wetlands and vernal pools

“We have to make sure that, if folks do want chickens, they do it in a way that doesn’t irritate or inflame their neighbors,” said Reichelt.

The mayor crafted these amendments using input from the Director of Public Health, Animal Control Officer, Planning Administrator and Town Attorney.

The West Springfield Town Council originally hosted its first public hearing on Oct 15, but because no residents came to speak, Condon continued the public hearing to Nov. 7.

“I’d like to hear what people who own chickens have to say about this,” he said. “Are they angry about it or are they happy? I, myself, think the restriction is a little overly excessive.”

Condon added that the proposal is being reviewed by the Policy and Ordinance Committee. He said he doesn’t believe it will be “kicked out” by the time of the public hearing.