Best Laid Plans: Aldermen Might Flock to Support Urban Chickens

A new Chic-fil-A opened in St. Peters Thursday, but even the celebrated franchise was second in the pecking order to the city’s urban chicken discussion during the Board of Aldermen work session.

During the April 8 Planning and Zoning meeting, 13-year-old Nick Anderson asked to be allowed to raise hens as part of a 4-H project after he worked to hatch eggs as part of a home-school project.

The Planning and Zoning Commission voted 8-2 to recommend denial of the request. But the Board of Aldermen can override the recommendation with a simple majority vote, and several aldermen said they support the change.

But most Board of Aldermen members took a different view during the board's Thursday work session.

“I say let this happen,” said Ward 1 Alderman Dave Thomas.

He said an ordinance drafted by city staff makes it easy to regulate the small-scale chicken operations and deal with any problems.

The ordinance changes the city code and regulates raising chickens. The regulations limit allow raising up to four hens, ban residents from keeping roosters, and limit the coop size to 200 square feet. The residents also must re-apply for a permit to raise chickens each year.

“Almost every homeowners association has it in their covenant to not allow farm animals,” said Alderman Patrick Barclay, Ward 4, during the planning and zoning meeting. “It’s not just the trustees, I’ve had people all over the city tell me they don’t want this.”

Barclay is the alderman representative on the Planning and Zoning Commission.

But if the work session is any indication, Nick might want to start counting his chickens before they hatch.

Barclay attempted to change the proposed ordinance to include larger setback requirements and require a smaller coop. Currently, the ordinance requires a minimum 25-foot setback from a neighbor’s house and a six-foot setback from the property line. He also said that Nick’s coop would be about the size of a desk, and that the coop needs just six square feet per chicken, according to experts.

Barclay’s recommendation died for lack of a second.

But all the board members had a good time with the chicken discussion.

Barclay said a comment made on a read, “All we are saying is give peeps a chance.”

However, he said most of the comments he has gotten have been opposed to allowing chickens.

Alderman Gus Elliott, Ward 3, said the majority of people supported raising chickens on a survey on his website.

Board President Judy Bateman, Ward 2, said she heard from just one person opposing chickens in St. Peters, but heard from several people supporting the change.

Other cities that allow chickens include St. Charles, Kirkwood, University City and Bridgeton.

Board members also heard from Laura Roodhouse, a Blackwood Lane resident, who told the board about uncontrolled storm water runoff, and debris in her and her neighbors yards.

“My son can’t even play outside during the day because the mosquitoes are so bad,” Roodhouse said.

Public Works and Services Manager Russ Batzel told Roodhouse the city is working on a comprehensive storm water plan using a $40 million bond issue approved by voters last November. In the meantime, he also said city staff members would look into the issue to see if the city can alleviate some of the issues.