This week was highlighted by yet another appearance before my town’s Zoning Commission in an attempt to get them to pass a reasonable backyard chicken keeping regulation. The town’s proposed reg comes on the heels of their extremely costly, failed lawsuit to force me to get rid of my chickens. It was quite clear that they are very sore losers from their conduct during the meeting, interrupting speakers, rolling eyes, making faces, playing on cell phones and whispering throughout.

While the proposed regulation actually contained some reasonable and even, progressive provisions, the first selectman intentionally added completely unreasonable restrictions that made it wholly unenforceable, and unpalatable to even the most fervent chicken supporters. The standing-room-only meeting room was overwhelmingly in support of backyard chickens and against the regulation. The commission declined to act on the petition, deferring it to next month when they hope The Chicken People will have lost their zeal for and interest in the proposal. We won’t.

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Kathy Shea Mormino

Affectionately known internationally as The Chicken Chick®, Kathy Shea Mormino shares a fun-loving, informative style to raising backyard chickens. …Read on

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This week was highlighted by yet another appearance before my town’s Zoning Commission in an attempt to get them to pass a reasonable backyard chicken keeping regulation. The town’s proposed reg comes on the heels of their extremely costly, failed lawsuit to force me to get rid of my chickens. It was quite clear that they are very sore losers from their conduct during the meeting, interrupting speakers, rolling eyes, making faces, playing on cell phones and whispering throughout.

While the proposed regulation actually contained some reasonable and even, progressive provisions, the first selectman intentionally added completely unreasonable restrictions that made it wholly unenforceable, and unpalatable to even the most fervent chicken supporters. The standing-room-only meeting room was overwhelmingly in support of backyard chickens and against the regulation. The commission declined to act on the petition, deferring it to next month when they hope The Chicken People will have lost their zeal for and interest in the proposal. We won’t.

Rachel Divider

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Lindsay Wood
Lindsay Wood
5 years ago

You are my hero. I am currently fighting an uphill battle between our 10 house HOA to have my own coop for my small family to raise some hens in our unincorporated, rural, zoned for farming area of Arlington, WA. We all have acre plus lots and very few restrictions in our covenants but it directly states no poultry shall be on the lots. Every year at our annual HOA meeting, I will be fighting for chickens. We are planning to live here 30+ years. I am an educated nurse and I have done vasts amounts of research to debate… Read more »