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4 T <br /> Zoning Code Amendments <br /> January 17,2013 <br /> Page 4 � <br /> How Many Chickens? <br /> To summarize the existing code sections related to chickens: <br /> - Chickens are `farm animals' by definition. <br /> - The code does not distinguish between chickens (hens) and roosters; they are a11 defined as <br /> `fowl'. <br /> - Fowl are allowed in the 2-acre and 5-acre Rural Residential districts as an accessory use. <br /> - Fowl are allowed in the Lakeshore Residential 1/2-acre, 1-acre and 2-acre districts and in <br /> the RS district, as a conditional use,requiring a CUP. <br /> - The number of fowl allowed is based on the size of the property; the minimum acreage for <br /> farm animals is at least one acre for the dwelling and one additional acre for each animal <br /> unit. <br /> - One animal unit is equivalent to 50 fowl under Orono code. Therefore, a 2-acre lot would <br /> be allowed 50 fowl, a 3-acre lot would be allowed 100 fowl, 4-acre lot allowed 150, etc. <br /> - Structures for housing of animals, including fowl, must be 75 feet from neighboring lot <br /> lines and 150 feet from neighboring residence structures. <br /> The issue of`urban chickens' has been a hot topic in recent years among cities in the metro area. <br /> City ordinances on the topic of chickens are quite varied. Brooklyn Park is one of the cities that <br /> fairly recently has researched the topic, and materials from their review are attached as a sample <br /> of the depth into which this topic could delve. Their review addressed a wide variety of concerns <br /> about chickens in an urban setting. Orono has not been faced with requests for or complaints <br /> about chickens in our more urban areas; staff suggests that our review concentrate on the basic <br /> topic of appropriate numbers in the more rural areas where animals are allowed in Orono. <br /> The two basic parameters regarding animal density that we can easily manipulate are: <br /> 1) how many of a given animal comprises one Animal Unit; and <br /> 2)how many Animal units we would allow per acre <br /> For example, Medina has a similar but more strict animal density standard as compared to that of <br /> Orono; Medina's code for Rural Residential properties states: "Livestock or traditional farm <br /> animals (not just horses) are permitted on properties two acres or larger at a maximum density <br /> of one animal unit for the first two Grazable Acres of land and one additional animal unit for <br /> each Grazable Acre of land thereafter." Interpreted literally, this places a high importance on <br /> defining the actual area of `grazable' (pasture) for all animal uses, not just horses. Orono's <br /> current code for non-horses requires one acre for the house plus one acre for the first non-horse <br /> animal unit,but doesn't specify that this second acre must be pasture. <br /> Under Medina's code, for example, a 2.4 acre lot of which 0.6 acres is defined as `Grazable' <br /> would be allowed 1 au per 2 Grazable Acres, or 0.5 au per Grazable Acre. <br /> 0.6 Grazable Acres x 0.5 au per Grazable Acre=0,3 animal units allowed <br /> Under Orono's au assignments, 0.3 au. = 15 chickens on this 2.4 acre lot <br /> Additionally, Medina code states that for any property less than 2 acres, the maximum number <br /> of animal units allowed is 0.1. If Orono was to adopt this standard, using our existing animal <br /> unit assignments, a property less than 2 acres would be allowed no more than 5 chickens (50 <br /> chickens per au x 0.1 au=5 chickens). <br />