Many questions linger after first zoning hearing on Stonington chickens By IAN HOLLIDAY Special to The Sun | Posted: Wednesday, July 17, 2013 10:30 am STONINGTON — The group that is hoping to legalize the keeping of chickens on residential properties in town moved closer to its goal Tuesday night, but it will be at least another three weeks before the outcome of their efforts is known. Chicken Lovers Urge Change — or CLUC*K as they dub themselves — presented their proposed zoning regulation change at a public hearing before the Planning and Zoning Commission Tuesday night. The hearing didn’t begin until roughly 9:40 p.m., more than two and a half hours into the commission’s meeting at Mystic Middle School. After nearly two more hours of testimony and public comments, the commission voted to continue the hearing to its Aug. 6 meeting. Peg Moran, Helen Jankoski and Jennifer Herbst, members of the Chicken Lovers, each spoke on the background of their proposal and answered questions from commissioners. Moran said that while the group had worked hard to draft the proposed regulation, they were not zoning experts, and would need guidance from the commission on ways to improve it. Moran said the idea of keeping a small flock of chickens in one’s backyard is an outgrowth of the local food movement. Chicken owners have a steady supply of cheap, fresh, local eggs to eat and share with neighbors, she said. “We see this as a food security issue,” she said. Eight members of the public spoke in favor of the proposed zoning regulation. That group included Pawcatuck resident Amanda Kettle, who started a petition in June to get the town to allow her to keep her flock of roughly 40 chickens even though she lives on a property that is too small to house them under current regulations. In Stonington, chickens are considered “grazing animals,” a category that also includes cows and sheep. Such animals are prohibited on residential lots smaller than 3 acres. Residents of properties larger than 3 acres are limited to two such animals; designated farms are allowed to have more. Several of the speakers in favor of the Chicken Lovers’ proposal said the current classification of chickens is too restrictive. “Regulating chickens, I think, is a mistake,” said Peggy Brissette. “They bring too many good things to the residents who own them.” As written, the proposal would allow residents of the town to keep a maximum of either six chickens or two chickens per human member of the household, whichever is greater, regardless of the zone in which their property is located. Commissioners were skeptical of this element of the regulation, suggesting that it would be difficult to enforce and should perhaps be changed to something more concrete — either a flat cap on the number of chickens or a flexible one based on the size of the property. The commission had other technical concerns regarding the proposal, as did several members of the public, particularly regarding the zones where it would apply. Similarly, resident Ken Sherwood spoke during the “general comments” portion of the hearing to urge the commission to proceed with caution. If everyone in town were a responsible chicken owner like those who had spoken in favor of the proposal, Sherwood said, he would support it. But not everyone is going to follow the rules, he said, so the regulations should be carefully written to be both reasonable and enforceable. “I think you need to dot your I’s and cross your T’s,” Sherwood said. “You know as well as I that this (room) doesn’t represent everybody in the town of Stonington.” Only one person spoke against the proposal. David Domnarski, of Pawcatuck, said he knows from experience that chickens can be a nuisance, whether or not roosters are involved. He said he had a neighbor whose chickens would wander into his yard and make too much noise, and it was difficult for him to get any resolution to his problems from the town. Similarly, as a certified appraiser of homes, he said living near chickens isn’t a desirable quality for the average prospective homebuyer, meaning chickens decrease property values. “I don’t believe my quality of life should have to be compromised,” Domnarski said. At the Aug. 6 meeting, members of the public who didn’t have a chance to speak Tuesday will be invited to do so, and those who have already spoken will have the opportunity to offer a rebuttal to any new information presented. The commission may or may not make a decision on the proposal at that meeting.
Posted on: Tue, 23 Jul 2013 23:28:12 +0000
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