Maitland chickens step toward acceptance

A two-year pilot program to allow chickens to take up residence in Maitland backyards could take flight in the coming months, pending recommendations of city boards to the City Council.

The Maitland Planning and Zoning Commission will hold a public hearing to discuss a draft of the chicken ordinance at its Sept. 19 meeting. The ordinance as-is would establish a two-year pilot program to allow 15 households to roost a maximum of three hens in a coop no larger than 100 square feet.

Read the entire proposed ordinance for Maitland’s urban backyard chicken ordinance at itsmymaitland.com. The city’s Planning and Zoning Commission will hold a public hearing regarding the ordinance at 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 19 in City Council chambers.

Planning and Zoning Commissioner Dale McDonald said the Commission members will likely hold one more public hearing in October before they make a recommendation to the City Council.

He said P&Z has received ongoing feedback over the ordinance from both chicken advocates and chicken opposition. Residents first brought the idea of allowing the egg-laying fowl in Maitland backyards in March, and the Planning and Zoning Commission got the go-ahead from City Council to draft the ordinance in June.

Resident John Endicott started a petition in favor of the chickens jumping on board an ongoing national trend of urban cities embracing small flocks of feathered friends, an offshoot of the slow-food movement. Endicott said chickens serve as a low-maintenance, productive pet – letting residents embrace nature, and take control of where their eggs come from.

But McDonald said his Commission’s decision will be based solely on what benefit or detriment the chickens pose to the city of Maitland in particular.

“This is a local issue, it isn’t going to be about regional or national trending; this is an all-local ordinance,” he said.