Chickens an issue on Huber Heights ballot

Issue 22 to advise council on plan allowing chickens on residential properties.

Voters will weigh in on a proposal on the November ballot to allow residents to raise chickens on residential properties in Huber Heights.

A vote for Issue 22 means the voter favors city council amending the city’s zoning code to allow chickens in residential areas.

The vote is advisory, meaning council could still move forward with allowing chickens if voters reject the issue, or the opposite. Nor would council be bound to the proposed zoning changes detailed in Issue 22 if the measure passes.

Under current law, chickens are not allowed on residential lots less than one acre, except lots zoned R-1 and R-2.

Issue 22 proposes that council should amend the zoning code to allow chickens under certain conditions. Residents would be required to obtain a zoning permit for a backyard pen or coup, where a maximum four hens could live on a residential property.

As proposed, all pens and coops would be constructed of sturdy wire fencing, solid wood, composite or vinyl material with a cover to prevent predator animals from access. The pens must be kept clean, dry, free of odor and accumulated manure, and constructed a minimum 10 feet from property lines.

Additionally, butchering or processing chickens in public view would be prohibited under the proposal.

The fight by some residents to allow chickens in residential areas has extended several years. Sarah McBride, a resident, is a leader in the effort to change the zoning code.

“It’s easy, economical, clean and it’s a great way to feed your family while teaching them about local, economical food sources,” McBride said.

The mother said she believes the community will support the initiative.

“Anybody under 30, they want local, they want sustainable, they don’t want to pay $6 a dozen in the store,” she said, noting pasture eggs can be expensive purchases for a family. “I think this could be a way to attract young, vibrant families.”

Mike Miller, also a resident, opposes the chicken initiative.

“My theory is, if you want chickens and farm animals, and you want to do that work yourself, move out of the city limits,” Miller said. “I think it’s going to be a nuisance more than it’s going to be a positive thing. I think it’s going to drive property values down.”

Miller said he formerly lived in another Dayton suburb where his neighbors neglected chickens.

"People didn't care for them, and I feel like that's what's going to happen here, just like with cats," he said.

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