Darien Council Rules In Chicken Debate

DARIEN, IL — When Darien resident Melissa Goodridge and her family built a chicken coop in the spring, they wanted the resulting eggs to help cut their grocery bills during the pandemic.

But some of her neighbors were less than thrilled, taking the matter to city officials. They did this in a town where no rules exist to regulate chickens.

The upshot: Now there is.

On Monday, the Darien City Council voted unanimously for regulations, limiting hens to six, mandating privacy fences and requiring permits. And, of course, no roosters — a rule upon which both pro- and anti-chicken residents seemed to agree. Roosters are considered too noisy.

In enacting regulations, the council passed up the alternative of banning chickens in residential neighborhoods, as some suburbs do.

During public input, Goodridge and others encouraged the City Council to allow chickens, saying they help families defray food expenses and do not bother others.

But chicken opponents disagreed, saying the noise and smell from chicken coops are nuisances. A few contended chickens bring rodents and rats.

Some aldermen said they visited local chicken coops to see for themselves what the issues were. Alderman Joseph Kenny said that in addition to the visits, he read a book about the issue and viewed YouTube videos.

Alderwoman Mary Sullivan said the majority of her Ward 5 residents who emailed wanted a ban on chickens. She said she was leaning the same way until she visited chicken coops.

"I had to say that it was extremely enlightening," the alderwoman said. "The reality is that chickens have been in Darien for a very long time. We're not talking about letting chickens come — they are already here. They have been co-existing in our community."

Alderman Tom Belczak said it was the council's job to find middle ground between the different sides.

"The main issue for me is fencing. That's my line in the sand," he said. "If you have a privacy fence, it doesn't matter whether your neighbor likes chickens or not because they won't be bothered."

But Alderman Tom Chlystek wondered whether the council may be going too far.

"Being on the council for five or six years, I've never had one chicken complaint. Two neighbors brought this forward. Are we throwing the whole kitchen sink at this one argument?" he said.

Belczak responded the council needed to decide whether to solve a problem brought by constituents or stay out of it. The city's analysis, he said, showed that nearly every town in DuPage County had some form of regulations for chickens.

"I think it's silly to have zero regulation," he said.

Under the rules, the city is limiting hens to six, which is what Goodridge has. It also is requiring perimeter solid fences and enclosures for chickens.

The council decided that chickens can only be in the backyard. Goodridge lives on a corner lot, with her coop in what may be seen as her side yard. She said in an email Tuesday that the coop is in the area that she considers her backyard. "We are very happy with the new ordinance!" she said in the email.

The permit fees for having chickens is $25 in the first year and $10 in later years. City officials said the fees would cover the costs of any inspections that the city deems necessary.

The city agreed existing coops must come into compliance by May 1. By March 1, chicken owners must provide evidence they have made a good faith effort to get a contract to build a privacy fence.

Check other stories about the chicken debate:

Backyard Chickens Upset Some Darien Residents

Darien Chicken Owner Fights For Rights

Darien Family Makes Case For Chickens

The Case Against Chickens In Darien Neighborhood

Darien Question: Do Chicken Coops Hurt Property Values?

Darien Chicken Debate Goes Before Council