Should chickens be allowed to roost in Shorewood backyards? The village wants residents' input.
Shorewood is seeking public input on whether the village should allow chickens.
Residents with opinions on the topic can complete a brief, three-question survey available until Wednesday, Oct. 18, to offer the village government insight into whether they support changing the ban on chickens, concerns or areas to research further.
Shorewood Planning & Development Director Bart Griepentrog said, “We're still in the early stages of understanding whether or not the community wants us to pursue this.”
Shorewood village code currently states, “No person, business or entity shall harbor, raise or possess, either temporarily or permanently, any swine, goat, sheep, horses, ponies, mules, donkeys, bees, chickens, turkeys, geese, cattle or fur-bearing animals within the Village.”
In recent years, several surrounding communities, including Milwaukee, Wauwatosa, Glendale and Bayside, have allowed the keeping of backyard chickens.
In 2009, the Village Board shut down discussions after some residents passionately pleaded for and against egg-laying hens in the densely populated North Shore community.
“Today's a new day. We shouldn't base our decision on what happened,” Griepentrog said. “Since other communities have recently adopted this in the North Shore, I think we just want to ensure that we’re keeping track of community sentiment on the topic.”
At the Feb. 20 Village Board meeting earlier this year, the board voted unanimously to request the Community & Business Relations Committee explore a change in the ordinance banning chickens.
The village Community and Business Relations Committee considered the topic at its Sept. 18 meeting and directed Griepentrog to research and solicit community perspectives.
During public comment, residents and board members discussed concerns over the impact on neighbors — odor, waste or noise.
Resident Linda Laarman noted Shorewood’s dense layout and feared that allowing chickens could lead to animosity between neighbors. She appreciated the neighbor consent required within Wauwatosa’s ordinance but said it could also cause friction.
If Shorewood removes its ban on chickens, resident Jessica McGovern said she and her husband would seriously consider adding one to the family.
“We should be allowed to do what we want on our properties, as long as we're not bothering other people. The reality is, if people don't follow the guidelines, they're going to lose their permit to have their chicken,” she said.
McGovern has never had chickens of her own, but she has had several other birds throughout her life. McGovern’s father also used to work at a Carnation plant with thousands of chickens. He used to bring home injured or picked-on birds that needed extra care. Her children love visiting Grassway Organics, a dairy farm in East Troy, and seeing all kinds of farm animals, especially chickens.
As a 20-year vegetarian, McGovern would also love backyard access to eggs.
“I’d want to ensure that we’d have the adequate time and resources to devote to caring for them. But eventually, it's something that I would love to take advantage of,” she said.
After public input is presented Nov. 6, the board will determine how to proceed on the ordinance details. However, Griepentrog suspects it will resemble ordinances in other suburban communities, like Glendale and Wauwatosa.
The survey is intended for Shorewood residents only, and residents should submit only one response per household, according to a memo from Village Manager Rebecca Ewald sent to residents.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Backyard chickens allowed in Shorewood? Residents asked for thoughts
