Chickens likely will become more prominent in North Little Rock backyards under a proposal heading to the City Council on Monday that would reduce the distance between the fowl and a neighboring residence.
North Little Rock allows chickens within the city limits, with a $10 permit, but they must be kept at least 75 feet from any residence or dwelling other than that of the person keeping the chickens.
There have been 27 permits for chickens issued this year in North Little Rock, according to the city clerk's office.
Ward 4 Alderman Murry Witcher is sponsoring legislation to amend the city's Animal Control portion of the Municipal Code to remove the 75-foot restriction. Witcher's proposal doesn't yet specify a new distance.
"The question is how many feet" are appropriate, Witcher said Tuesday while campaigning for re-election during the early voting period for the Nov. 4 election. "I purposely left that blank so we can have that discussion. My thought is to set a public hearing and see what people think and go through the regulations we currently have that would satisfy the council."
The ordinance is worded for the maintaining of fowl, meaning chickens, Witcher said. Roosters, known for early morning crowing, aren't allowed within the city limits and that wouldn't change, he said. Hens don't need a rooster to lay eggs, only to fertilize their eggs.
The proposed legislation, he said, is a result of residents asking for changes, as more are looking for alternatives to buying food and find fresh, backyard eggs appealing.
"Times are changing and people are wanting fresh eggs," he said. "They want to be able to do those things at their homes whether it's Lakewood or Timbuktu."
Jane Ginn, who is running against Witcher for a Ward 4 position on the council, said that while she doesn't disagree with people keeping chickens to have fresh eggs, finding appropriate places for them may be difficult.
"There are very few places in Ward 4 where chickens would be desirable for the neighbors, but if it is in an area that it is desirable, as long as they are a certain distance away from the neighbors, that's perfectly in order," Ginn said while also campaigning Tuesday outside an early voting site.
"I am not against people having chickens," she added. "My niece has them in Vilonia and lots of them. They're like pets to her. In the right place it's OK."
Billy Grace, the city's Animal Control director, said that the main problem with chickens is odor, but only if the owner doesn't take care of them. Animal Control is responsible for measuring the distance between a structure and where chickens are kept and ensuring that the area is properly maintained.
"Personally, I don't have a problem with it," Grace said of residents having chickens. "We have a nuisance ordinance in effect and if odor causes problems we can regulate that by enforcing the nuisance code.
"I think it stands to reason that there will be more of them if we reduce the [distance] limits because, in a lot of cases, it's physically impossible to get to 75 feet," he said. "Chickens aren't bad if they're cared for properly. The main thing is to keep the pen clean and keep the odor down."
Metro on 10/22/2014