New London considers allowing backyard hens
By Scott Bellile
The New London Planning Commission will consider allowing chickens outside single- and two-family residences.
“I will say that we have got a dozen people probably over the last year that are wanting them, so that’s the only reason we’re even bringing this to the commission to discuss,” Zoning Administrator David Vincent said April 27.
No draft ordinance was approved. The commission plans to revisit the topic on May 25 at 5:15 p.m. at City Hall.
Under current ordinance, chickens only are allowed in general agriculture districts.
Vincent proposed allowing up to six chickens and no roosters, which cities often ban due to their crowing.
Coops would be kept in the backyard and at least 20 feet from a neighboring property.
Commissioners and alderpersons in attendance shared various opinions.
“I don’t think we should allow them at all because people aren’t going to take care of them, and chickens stink,” Chairman Bernie Ritchie Jr. said.
“My opinion is I don’t think they really belong in the city,” said Commissioner Jay Bessette, who raises chickens outside city limits. “They do make noise. They do smell.”
Bessette suggested lowering the limit to three or four, citing animal welfare concerns that could arise with irresponsible chicken keepers.
He said standard coops on the market are advertised as five- or six-chicken environments, but that overstates how many chickens can sleep inside comfortably.
“That coop is made for those birds to roost there,” Bessette said. “They’re supposed to free-range all day. They’re not supposed to be confined to a 3-foot-by-5-foot chicken coop.”
Bessette added his 1-acre property is barely adequate for six chickens to roam.
Commissioner Susie Steingraber questioned allowing chickens at two-family dwellings, saying “that’s just asking for trouble” from other occupants within the duplex.
Chickens don’t bark
Ald. Robert Besaw asked why the standard should differ than that for other pets.
“People have dogs,” Besaw said. “They might have three dogs on one side of the duplex and the other side doesn’t. They just fence in that side of duplex.”
The difference is dogs are predominantly housed indoors, Ald. BaLynda Croy said.
“And dogs are much easier to pick up after than a chicken,” Commissioner Dona Gabert said.
“The issues with chickens are not exactly the same as dogs,” Commissioner Jeff Handschke said. “Dogs, when it rains out, their poo doesn’t disappear. And when, chickens, it rains out, it kind of just goes away if there is some out there.”
A first responder, Handschke said he never hears Waupaca County law enforcement dispatched for noisy chicken complaints, whereas barking dog complaints are frequent.
A Fox Valley realtor as well, Handschke said he has heard no griping about backyard chickens in Appleton or Menasha.
“I think of New London as a rural community, a small town,” Ald. Tim Roberts said. “This is an ordinance that they have in Menasha, and they’re open to this. So I guess I would be comfortable adopting the same ordinance in New London as what Menasha would have.”
“There’s obviously people that want to have them in our community, and I think we have to be receptive to what the community wants,” Bessette said.
Vincent agreed to contact leaders of municipalities with chicken ordinances to ask the upsides and downsides before presenting the topic again next meeting.
Hortonville, Clintonville, Waupaca, Fremont and Scandinavia are among the local municipalities that allow chickens.