City chickens a no-go for Common Council
NORWICH – In spite of local interest to allow more city residents to keep chickens on their property, members of the Norwich Common Council have decided not to pursue changes in city ordinances that currently prohibit many homeowners from owning fowl.
Members of the Council discussed the issue a meeting of the Joint Committees on Tuesday after information on the city’s current ordinances were presented by Codes Enforcement Officer Jason Lawrence.
According Lawrence, the city ordinance presently allows chickens within city limits, but only on property of five or more acres.
The request for changes in the local law was first made to the Council last year but revived last month by a city resident who said the city was well positioned to allow residents, including those with smaller parcels, to keep chickens because the city’s rooted in an agricultural region.
Since then, Lawrence has been in contact with ag experts at the Cornell Cooperative Extension, and with the neighboring cities of Cortland and Oneonta which have similar surroundings and more lenient laws when it comes to having chickens.
One common concern, he said, is apartment houses.
“There may be problems especially with multi-family homes,” Lawrence said, “but they couldn’t say there were any major problems.”
Members of the Council have also followed up on the request, though some said most residents in their respective ward are wary of clucking neighbors.
“I’ve talked to at least 20 people in my ward since we first talking about this last year; and of all the people I’ve talked to, none of them were for it,” said Ward One Alderman John Deierlein.
Aldermen David Zieno (Ward Five) and Matthew Caldwell (Ward One) also said many of their constituents disapproved of the idea and that they wouldn’t vote in favor of a change if it were to go before the Common Council.
“Many residents of the city moved into the city to enjoy the ordinances and codes that prohibit these types of things,” said Caldwell. “That’s why I can’t support it.”
With no support for any official proposal, the idea is stalled for now.
Members of the Council discussed the issue a meeting of the Joint Committees on Tuesday after information on the city’s current ordinances were presented by Codes Enforcement Officer Jason Lawrence.
According Lawrence, the city ordinance presently allows chickens within city limits, but only on property of five or more acres.
The request for changes in the local law was first made to the Council last year but revived last month by a city resident who said the city was well positioned to allow residents, including those with smaller parcels, to keep chickens because the city’s rooted in an agricultural region.
Since then, Lawrence has been in contact with ag experts at the Cornell Cooperative Extension, and with the neighboring cities of Cortland and Oneonta which have similar surroundings and more lenient laws when it comes to having chickens.
One common concern, he said, is apartment houses.
“There may be problems especially with multi-family homes,” Lawrence said, “but they couldn’t say there were any major problems.”
Members of the Council have also followed up on the request, though some said most residents in their respective ward are wary of clucking neighbors.
“I’ve talked to at least 20 people in my ward since we first talking about this last year; and of all the people I’ve talked to, none of them were for it,” said Ward One Alderman John Deierlein.
Aldermen David Zieno (Ward Five) and Matthew Caldwell (Ward One) also said many of their constituents disapproved of the idea and that they wouldn’t vote in favor of a change if it were to go before the Common Council.
“Many residents of the city moved into the city to enjoy the ordinances and codes that prohibit these types of things,” said Caldwell. “That’s why I can’t support it.”
With no support for any official proposal, the idea is stalled for now.
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