Getting Boro to allow chickens

[Hopeful4chickensCortneyPA]

Hi everyone!
I live in a small boro just outside of Lancaster PA where chickens have never been allowed…. I have been researching other boro laws and trying to put together a proposal to have it changed.
Their arguments have been:
Besides noise and people that wouldn't abide by the ordinance, there are health concerns with animal waste and even with the current Avain flu that has wiped out thousands of birds. Since chickens are defined as livestock, where do you draw the lines? ...goats? ..a cow? ..a Llama? You see where this can go... decisions made by council are based on laws and ordinances, and as you are aware, every law or ordinance in place is a result of something gone wrong or something that would impact the overall community...

I am looking for any and all help on how I can implement something similar to what I have found Hanover boro has;
No more than 4 hens, no roosters
Must be cooped 24/7, Clean well kept coop.
Anyone who does not meet the rules of the permit will lose their permit for chickens and can not reapply for 2 years.
They have anyone can have chickens, but we have one area that is a high resident zone that is mostly rows of townhouses that I would prefer to exclude as that specific area doesn’t rule follow in many other areas. I appreciate any help for boros you know if PA that allow chickens and anything that could help

 

[Brooks_]

I'm sorry that I don't have any specific tips for you. It sounds like you have a good start - a lot of what you are trying to do is just copying the codes from nearby areas that have not had problems.

A couple things I would alter...

Must be cooped 24/7

Word it to allow for a run area. Basically confined to property and securely cooped at night.

They have anyone can have chickens, but we have one area that is a high resident zone that is mostly rows of townhouses

Phrase this as single-family housing (my area counts a duplex as single-family). It will automatically exclude apartments and townhouses and such.

Good luck and update the thread with what happens.

 

[Hopeful4chickensCortneyPA]

I'm sorry that I don't have any specific tips for you. It sounds like you have a good start - a lot of what you are trying to do is just copying the codes from nearby areas that have not had problems.

A couple things I would alter...

Word it to allow for a run area. Basically confined to property and securely cooped at night.

Phrase this as single-family housing (my area counts a duplex as single-family). It will automatically exclude apartments and townhouses and such.

Good luck and update the thread with what happens.

Thank you! Yes I am trying to give proven examples of successful boros, as currently it’s 1 acre minimums and they are grouped with “livestock”… I like the idea of the single-family housing! Thank you so much!

 

[lafinestra66]

Thank you! Yes I am trying to give proven examples of successful boros, as currently it’s 1 acre minimums and they are grouped with “livestock”… I like the idea of the single-family housing! Thank you so much!

How did this go for you? I'm having a similar issue where I live. I've reached out to the local government multiple times about changing the County ordinance/writing our own Town ordinance, but no one seems too interested...