As the Salt Lake County Council scratches into new rules that could allow chickens in unincorporated neighborhoods from the west side's historic Magna to the eastern foothills of Mount Olympus, officials should expect some squawking from constituents.
And the noise won't just come from those who think hens belong on farms, not in urban settings. It also will come from backyard-chicken champions who say the county's proposed rules are so severe that building a coop would be akin to erecting a "maximum-security prison."
In two weeks, a council subcommittee will weigh plans that would make it legal to raise up to 15 hens in residential neighborhoods. Chicken owners would have to obtain an annual permit, submit to on-site inspections and build a coop that keeps birds within a wire mesh that stretches two feet underground.
Already, the county has logged nearly 100 e-mails from residents.
"The amount of oversight and regulation is astonishing to me, and it's too heavy-handed for something as trivial as chickens," wrote David Erickson, a member of the Magna Town Council. "It's draconian and leaves no doubt that chicken owners are either stupid and need to have the government tell them step by step how to care for their birds, or they are mischievous and sneaky and sternly need to be kept in line by the county."
Another letter writer, who titled her e-mail "a yes vote for chickens," endorsed the measure.
"Having chickens is a great way to save money, live sustainably, eat fresh, get your own garden manure and learn responsibility," wrote Madelyn Corey, who raises three hens outside her east-side Millcreek Township home, "I have seen several urban coops in Salt Lake City and know from personal experience that a properly maintained coop is not smelly or dirty."
While the county's correspondence suggests that most people favor the proposed ordinance -- albeit with some modifications -- it also shows a fair amount of opposition.
Susan and Eric Shramm, for example, wrote of a noticeable rise in raccoon and skunk activity near their Millcreek home when a neighbor's chickens arrived. The problem became so severe that the couple feared letting their 6-year-old daughter and their silky terrier play in the backyard unattended. While hens may fit into some county neighborhoods, they argued, they don't belong everywhere.
Some letter writers opposed the measure altogether, citing the stink of residential coops, the dangers of avian-borne diseases and the threat of rodent infestations.
Others, such as Millcreek resident Jay Griffith, urged a less-restrictive approach to urban hens. The proposed ordinance, he wrote, could cost chicken owners "thousands of dollars" just to build an acceptable coop.
"Are chickens really that obtrusive?" Griffith asked. "Are they really such a serious health threat?"
Yet Bev Uipi, who has served as county Mayor Peter Corroon's community liaison on the issue, believes officials have struck a fair compromise. It permits backyard hens within the unincorporated county and its six townships, while providing enough oversight to "give some ease" to opponents.
"This ordinance is a step in the right direction," Uipi said, "for allowing people to live sustainably."
Salt Lake County is considering new rules for allowing backyard hens in unincorporated communities. Under the proposed ordinance, chicken owners must:
Seek an annual permit.
Raise no more than 15 hens.
Notify property owners within 300 feet of their plans to tend chickens.
Build a coop no larger than 6 feet tall with at least 2 square feet of space per chicken. Owners must enclose the coop in quarter-inch hardware cloth wire fencing (traditional chicken wire is prohibited) that is buried 2 feet deep with an additional 2 feet of wire bent outward underground.
Place the coop no closer than 50 feet from any dwelling.
Consent in writing to an on-site inspection of the coop.
Clean chicken droppings from the coop weekly and conduct a more extensive scrub once a year.
Protect chicken feed in a predator-proof container.
Permit no chicken slaughtering on the property.
First-time hen owners may receive a lower-priced permit by attending a chicken-keeper training course.
Source: Salt Lake County
A Salt Lake County Council subcommittee overseeing public works will hear the chicken proposal June 9 at the County Government Center, 2001 S. State St.
