March 22, 2024 |
Photo – Chicken coop – Courtesy Farmer’s Almanac
In Saratoga, a former town council member asked the governing body to allow residents to keep hens.
During the March 19th Saratoga town council meeting, former councilman Jon Nelson talked about chickens. Nelson said he would like the council to amend the town’s ordinances to allow people to keep egg-laying hens in their yards. The former councilman said having chickens will benefit residents.
Nelson said both Cheyenne and Laramie permit residents to keep hens, as does Hanna, Baggs, and Sinclair.
The former councilman said the existing Saratoga town ordinance governing animals does not specifically ban the keeping of chickens. Nelson said the town’s zoning ordinance, Title 18, does limit where in town chickens and all other types of livestock may be located.
Nelson proposed that the town remove fowl, such as chickens, ducks and geese, from the definition of livestock. Instead, the former councilman said the rewritten ordinance would specifically state that only hens are permitted within town limits.
Nelson said his proposed ordinance changes are based off similar regulations in Cheyenne and Laramie. Nelson said he has included the same rules stipulating how the birds are to be housed and maintained.
Councilwoman Kathy Beck asked Nelson if his proposed changes specified the type of lot where chickens may be kept. The former councilman said both Cheyenne and Laramie dictate that chicken coops must be located on occupied single-family lots. However, Nelson said the town will need to decide on its own where chickens can be kept.
Nelson said chicken coops would be subject to the same building regulations as garden sheds and other outbuildings.
In his proposed ordinance, Nelson said residents must obtain a permit from town hall to keep hens. The former councilman said he believes that other cities, such as Cheyenne, allow chickens without a permit.
Mayor Chuck Davis asked Nelson where the push to change the town’s animal ordinance originated. Nelson said people have asked him about keeping chickens. The former councilman said he, personally, doesn’t want chickens, but he supports his neighbor’s right to do so.
Mayor Davis said the Planning Commission will review Nelson’s proposed ordinance changes during a future meeting.
