Consider Allowing Chickens: Elmhurst Officials

ELMHURST, IL – A trio of Elmhurst aldermen are asking the city to consider allowing residents to have chickens.

A decade ago, they said, City Council committees looked at a proposal to let residents own a limited number of chickens. But no action was taken.

In a memo Thursday, aldermen Chris Jensen, Emily Bastedo and Jacob Hill said they wanted to bring the matter back to the council.

"In the last few years, partly as a result of the pandemic and partly as a result of food price inflation, we have seen concerns about food security become increasingly vocalized by residents," the aldermen said.

A number of DuPage County towns, including Lombard and Villa Park, have changed their policies to allow for chickens, the aldermen said.

"These areas enacted similar, reasonable guidelines that enabled successful chicken coops in residential areas," they said.

At the same time, they said they understand residents would have concerns about the raising of chickens in their neighborhoods. They said only hens should be permitted.

On Monday, the council is set to vote on whether to send the issue to its Development, Planning and Zoning Committee.

In 2020, the Darien City Council engaged in a debate after residents complained about a neighbor's ownership of chickens. Aldermen decided to allow chickens, but enacted restrictions.