Proposed ordinance to allow backyard chickens in O'Hara scheduled for council consideration in January

Nov. 30—A proposal to allow O'Hara Township residents to keep backyard chickens is now before O'Hara Council and is scheduled for consideration at its Jan. 3 meeting.

Chickens have never been permitted on township residences under 5 acres. Allowing them on smaller properties has been on the radar for several years.

"Chickens appear to be getting more popular," said township Manager Julie Jakubec.

The planning commission in November forwarded the proposal to council. It would amend the township's zoning ordinance to allow backyard chickens. The goal is to have something on the books by March, Jakubec said.

Ownership would apply to single family properties. Permits would be required for keeping chickens. Council would decide if there would be any fees involved with chicken ownership.

The township has 9,200 residents and 3,681 single-family properties.

"I think the biggest concern is some communities have large and small lots and the effects a coop could have on a neighboring property," Jakubec said.

An online petition is circulating in support of backyard chickens in O'Hara.

A private Facebook group called Fox Chapel/O'Hara Chicken Club has 108 members in support of backyard chickens.

O'Hara resident Daniel Meinert is an avid supporter of backyard chickens. Meinert, 62 and retired from law enforcement, initially raised chickens in his backyard as pets for his now-grown children.

"We came to realize the benefit the chickens had in the neighborhood and/or our children's friends who visited like to spend time in the yard watching and interacting with the birds," Meinert said. "We also noted the difference in the quality of eggs and the benefits of having the chickens eating bugs including stink bugs they could catch in the yard."

Last summer, Meinert said he was threatened with a $500 fine from township officials because he had chickens on his almost 1 acre property.

"I moved my chickens to a friend's house until I was able to come to an agreement with the township to allow me to bring them back," Meinert said.

Meinert has nine chickens.

Meinert said very few township residents have complained about the proposed chicken ordinance.

He volunteered and became a member of the committee that helped draft the chicken ordinance. Planning Commission members Joe Zgurzynski, Joe Kelley and manager Jukubec also sat on the committee.

If the ordinance is approved, it would require all chickens to be kept in a rear yard. People would be required to have 10,000-square-feet of space for the first three chickens and to construct a coop or other structure to house them. Coops and chicken runs must be located at least 10 feet from any property line.

Each additional bird would require 2,000 more square feet of yard space.

No more than 20 chickens would be allowed, and the chicken coop permit must be displayed outside the coop so that it is visible.

The township zoning officer would monitor chicken-related activities.

The proposed ordinance recommends: no roosters; providing a predator-proof coop; coops screened from view by a fence or shrubs at least 3 feet high; coop walls, roof, doors and trims all the same color; keeping chicken feed in a rodent-proof container, and not allowing any odors from the coop to go beyond the property line.

Dead chickens must be buried at least 3 feet deep on one's property.

No selling of eggs or butchered meat would be permitted. If a neighborhood dog or cat kills a chicken, the dog or cat wouldn't be considered aggressive or dangerous.

Meinert expressed concerns that the proposed ordinance is too restrictive and burdensome on residents. One example is the proposed one-color rule.

"So if a family is artistic and want to paint a mural on their coop, they can't," Meinert said. "O'Hara Township is not a gated community and the township home rule charter isn't supposed to be a homeowner's association regulating every aspect of a resident's use of their own property.

He said, "The ordinance should be specific as to what is required and not leave it to the township manager and enforcement officer to decide on a case-by-case basis."

Jakubec said she studied chicken ordinances from local municipalities and ones in Florida and Michigan.

"I feel what we have (proposed) is less restrictive than some. We're trying to find a balance," Jakubec said. "Hopefully by spring if residents want to have chickens, they can."

Jakubec said she hadn't fielded any significant opposition to the keeping of chickens in the township.

Under Pittsburgh's urban agriculture zoning conditions, residents who reside on enough property can own chickens and even goats.

Joyce Hanz is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Joyce by email at jhanz@triblive.com or via Twitter .