Chicken coops inside North Little Rock's city limits must stay at least 75 feet away from neighboring houses, the City Council said Monday night.
Aldermen rejected a proposal offered Monday by Alderman Murry Witcher to allow chickens to be kept within 50 feet of a neighbors' home. Amending the distance failed in a 4-4 vote. Five votes are needed to pass. Witcher's original proposal from two weeks ago hadn't included a recommended distance.
The vote was split in each ward. Aldermen Beth White of Ward 1, Linda Robinson of Ward 2, Bruce Foutch of Ward 3 and Witcher of Ward 4 all voted yes. Alderman Debi Ross of Ward 1, Maurice Taylor of Ward 2, Steve Baxter of Ward 3 and Charlie Hight of Ward 4 voted no. Mayor Joe Smith chose not to vote. The mayor only votes to break a tie for approval.
The council did approve the proposed ordinance by Witcher to amend city code to change the date that a permit is to be obtained to Jan. 1, instead of July 1. Permits are $10 annually.
"When it comes to municipalities, some things belong in a city and some things belong on farms," Taylor said while stating his opposition. "When you move to a city, you expect it to be a certain way and to smell a certain way. I cannot see decreasing the distance. I would make it further or not allow [chickens,] period."
Both Ross and Hight said they had received "numerous, numerous" phone calls and emails from their ward residents objecting to allowing chickens to be any closer than 75 feet.
"They think it's fine the way it is," Hight said.
Ross said she would be agreeable to the 50-foot distance, but "we are representatives of our constituents and I have overwhelmingly heard their objection."
Two residents spoke in favor of reducing the distance in order to allow more residents to raise chickens so they could have fresh eggs. The 75-foot distance is prohibitive because most city yards aren't big enough to meet that requirement, they said.
Ashley Floyd, who has chickens, said North Little Rock was "forward-thinking and progressive" in considering the change and asked the council to be progressive in this case.
"At no point should we consider more restrictions," Floyd said. "Fifty feet would be reasonable. It's just about the number of families who take more responsibility in knowing where their food comes from."
Chad Dennis, who said he would raise chickens if he had the space, said that if chicken owners are responsible and do not allow their chickens to roam free to be a nuisance in the neighborhood and the yard is kept clean, then a shorter distance would be favorable. It also helps families to be able to provide some of their own food and to teach children to care for the fowl and the eggs.
"I think the distance can be lessened without any problems," he said. "They don't smell, and chickens need less maintenance than a dog."
Bobby Taylor, no relation to Alderman Taylor, spoke against shortening the distance, saying that he had once had an 11-month ordeal involving a neighbor's dog, so enforcement could be a problem. There was also an incident in his Rose City area where someone had chickens and allowed them to roam, becoming a nuisance to a neighbor.
"I don't want any of those stinking, clucking chickens next to me," Taylor said.
Witcher proposed the ordinance, he has said, because he had heard from several residents in his ward during his re-election campaign that they wanted to raise chickens but were prohibited from doing so because of the distance requirement. Roosters aren't allowed within the city limits.
Metro on 11/25/2014