Commission approves request for urban chickens

The mood in Cassopolis may soon turn a bit fowl.

The village planning commission approved a recommendation for the village council on Tuesday to amend the ordinance prohibiting exotic animals, allowing residents to raise chickens on their property. The resolution passed with a vote of three to one, with one member abstaining.

According to their recommendation, property owners may have the animals on their property if they meet the following restrictions:

• The property is two or more acres

• The owners may have no more than 10 hens (no roosters) on their property

• The permit must be applied for on an annual basis

• The chickens must confined inside a coop, with a minimum of 1 square foot of space for each bird

• The structure must be placed behind the property

• Residents applying for a permit would have to receive permission from neighbors to do so

The recommendation will be heard in front of the village council during their next meeting, on July 14.

The commission assembled on Tuesday to consider revising the local ordinance after the village received a request from resident Bill Henry, who wanted to raise chickens on his property near the village outskirts. The request, which was drafted with recommendations by Village Manager Cindy LaGrow, also asked for permission to raise cows and other hoofed animals within village limits, which was denied by the commission.

The one vote against adopting the recommendation was from Katherine Yoder, who said that she was concerned with the village’s ability to enforce any established guidelines.

“I just think we’re opening up a can of worms,” Yoder said. “We’d be heading into a direction that would be super unenforceable. There’s going to be exceptions after exceptions after exceptions.”