7.b ii Report on Ordinance 199 amending the Development Code for Livestock and Accessory Structures444 Cedw 5lreel, 5vte 1500
Saint Paul, MN 55101
651 292,4400
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Memorandum
To: Scandia City Council Reference: Keeping Domestic Fowl on
Smaller Lots — Code Amendment
Copies To: Neil Soltis, City
Administrator
Brenda Eklund, City Clerk
Project No.: 16623.000
From: Sherri Buss, RLA AICP, Routing:
Planner
Date: August 14, 2018
BACKGROUND
A City resident recently requested that Scandia consider allowing residents to have chickens on
lots smaller than five acres and adopt standards for this use that would allow it on smaller lots.
The Development Code currently requires a minimum lot size of 5 acres to keep livestock,
including chickens and other domestic fowl, and setbacks that would prohibit many smaller lots
from including structures to house livestock.
Many communities in Washington County and the Metro Area have adopted standards for
keeping chickens and other fowl on small parcels. The Planning Commission discussed the
issue at recent meetings, developed a draft ordinance to permit keeping domestic fowl on
smaller lots, and held a public hearing on the draft ordinance on August 7. The resident who
requested the ordinance amendment thanked the Commission for their work on the ordinance.
The Commission recommended the Development Code amendment to the Council for approval.
ORDINANCE AMENDMENT HIGHLIGHTS
The Commission recommended that the City should not over -regulate this use, but should
permit a variety of domestic fowl, and adopt suitable standards for the number of chickens and
other domestic fowl permitted on smaller lots The proposed Code amendment includes
required setbacks and other performance standards that are tailored to regulating this use on
smaller parcels. Highlights of the proposed ordinance include:
• No permits are required to keep 5 domestic fowl or less.
• The ordinance requires an Administrative permit for more than 5 domestic fowl, which
would allow for staff to check on setbacks and other standards.
• The maximum number of fowl permitted would be 5 chickens per acre on smaller
parcels. A maximum of 5 chickens would be permitted on a parcel that is smaller than 1
acre. Adjacent nonconforming parcels under the same ownership would be considered
1 parcel to determine the acreage and number of chickens permitted.
• Roosters are prohibited, as well as Guineafowl and Peacocks.
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Chickens on Small Lots Page 2
Scandia Planning Commission
August 21, 2018
• The structure setbacks for residential structures apply to coops and pens, and a 20 -foot
minimum distance must be maintained between coops and pens and residential
buildings on adjacent properties.
• Coop structures larger than 200 square feet require a building permit, and if electricity is
provided, an electrical permit is required.
• Domestic fowl should not become a nuisance, and the city may revoke the permit or use
if the animals become a nuisance.
• The Commission recommended adding an item to the draft ordinance and to the
Accessory Structure section to note that the parcel area of parcels in Shoreland Districts
includes only the area above the Ordinary High Water Level (OHWL). This is consistent
with the standards of the Shoreland Management District ordinance.
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