Chicken chatter: Springville debates how many backyard chickens are too many
by Cassidy Wixom ksl · KSL.comKEY TAKEAWAYS
- Springville City Council debates backyard chicken limits due to ordinance discrepancies.
- Residents face confusion over chicken limits on lots over 20,000 square feet.
- The council says it will explore possibly allowing more chickens based on lot size.
SPRINGVILLE — In a state where most of the cities started out as farming towns, the legacy of owning backyard chickens has stayed strong. But in Springville, a dispute is rising about just how many chickens is too many.
The City Council said it has been receiving many emails about the city's chicken ordinance, which says residential households can have a maximum of six chickens. But one sentence in the ordinance that suggests different guidelines for lots larger than 20,000 square feet has caused some discrepancy in residents' application of the ordinance.
The city ordinance says hen chickens can be kept on a lot in any residential zone. "For smaller lots the following applies: The number of hen chickens which may be kept shall be up to six," the ordinance states.
But the ordinance also says lots 20,000 square feet or larger will follow the provisions set forth in the agricultural code. While the chicken ordinance only says residential households and doesn't specify anything about zoning, the agricultural code says lots zoned as R1-15 and agricultural can have additional chickens.
Specifically, 12 fowl are allowed per 10,000 square feet of land dedicated to animal keeping.
The confusion for residents stems from the chicken ordinance only stating lot size, but the animal-keeping guidelines specify zoning. So property owners in other residential zones who have lots larger than 20,000 square feet are unclear how many chickens they can have.
The Andersen family was charged last summer with having "hen chickens in excess of (six) on a lot or parcel of land in any residential zone under 20,000 square feet in size." But the Andersens say their property is around 30,000 square feet, so they should not be limited to six chickens, according to the city code.
When the Andersens received more citations for having too many chickens on their lot, they decided to go to the Springville City Council, which is now discussing how to rectify the situation.
During a work session Tuesday, city administrator Troy Fitzgerald said in 2010, there was a request for the city to consider allowing egg production by hen chickens at smaller residential households, but the council voted against it. At the time, there was significant interest in egg production, he added, but an ordinance wasn't passed until 2014 to allow hen chickens for just family consumption.
The language of the ordinance can be interpreted differently, Fitzgerald said, stating that a strict reading of it could mean residential lots larger than 20,000 square feet shouldn't be allowed to have chickens at all as animal keeping is only allowed in certain zones and animal keeping does not include egg production from hens.
City attorney John Penrod agreed, saying "it's pretty clear" property owners only get animal units if they are in an agricultural or R1-15 zone.
"To me, the original intent (of the ordinance) was to allow six hen chickens for egg production on any lot," Fitzgerald added.
The council proposed an amendment that would make the six-chicken limit apply to all residential households. But the chicken discussion didn't end there.
"I don't want to, like, reignite the chicken wars, but do we have any appetite for increasing some chicken allowances for different plot sizes?" asked Councilman Logan Millsap. "I think there's an appetite for that in the community."
Other council members said it makes sense to base the number of chickens on the size of the plot, as it would be easier to enforce and easier for property owners to know how much they are allowed. They also suggested putting a permit system in place to keep chicken owners accountable and respectful to neighbors.
During the council meeting's public comment section later Tuesday, several citizens voiced their thoughts on letting larger lots own more chickens.
"Springville residents should be allowed enough chickens to support eggs for family throughout the year — which is more than six. Allowing more backyard chickens in Springville is in line with Springville's values and helps us stay prepared for supply chain shortages," Jamie Duncan said.
Brandon Ashby explained he read through the laws 10 years ago and determined his house could have 18 chickens. His family has had chickens ever since, which has been helpful with nine children at home who go through more than a dozen eggs a day.
"It's been a huge blessing to our family to have those. So I want to echo support that we really should maintain those rights," he said.
Quinn Adamson said he moved to Springville because of the abundance of land. His family owns chickens and horses and believes having farm animals helps unite the community.
"I just don't want to see Springville getting into the same box as every other city in this county just by taking a blanket approach for agriculture rights for chickens and other things like that," he said.
The City Council will vote on the ordinance amendment on March 3. The council also said it will explore a possible tiered system to increase the number of chickens allowed in residential zones based on lot size.
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Cassidy Wixom
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Cassidy Wixom is an award-winning reporter for KSL. She covers Utah County communities, arts and entertainment, and breaking news. Cassidy graduated from BYU before joining KSL in 2022.