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Staff provided draft language for ducks for the Planning Commission to discuss at the September <br />meeting and the Planning Commission recommended the City Council include ducks in the draft <br />ordinance. <br />Section 1325.07 Subd. 6.A, Location for Buildings Housing Farm Animals <br />1) Modify language for the Keeping of Chickens and Ducks <br />a. Modify coop size and location requirements for the keeping of chickens and ducks <br />The City Council suggested amendments to chicken/duck keeping area requirements including <br />increasing the minimum required coop size from 12 square feet to 20 square feet; making an <br />exercise yard optional and keeping a covered and fenced pen as a requirement. For location, <br />suggested edits included adding specific language that the outer limit of the coop and pen shall in <br />no instance be located less than 10 feet from the property line, while maintaining the standard that <br />the outer limit shall be closer to the principal dwelling upon the license holder property than any <br />other abutting property. The City Council also directed staff to remove screening requirements for <br />chicken keeping areas. <br />At the August meeting, the Planning Commission made recommendations about the minimum and <br />maximum coop size and the criteria for distance from principal dwellings on abutting properties. <br />The Planning Commission noted that residents may prefer to construct a coop that is greater than <br />20 square feet based on available prefabricated structures or their specific needs. There were <br />multiple recommendations on this topic, including increasing the maximum coop size to 36 square <br />feet to allow for a 6-foot by 6-foot structure and removing the maximum coop size. <br />Staff reviewed the chicken ordinance language in 10 neighboring cities and found that, two cities <br />have an established maximum coop size, one at 60 square feet and one at 120 square feet. Four out <br />of the 10 cities establish a minimum coop size ranging from 3- to 4-square feet per bird. The UMN <br />Extension resource recommends having a minimum of 3- to 5-square feet of indoor space per bird <br />and the Urban Chickens resource recommends 4 square feet per bird. In September, staff brought <br />forth draft language in Subd. 6 A l.a. to allow for a coop size of up to 36 square feet which the <br />Planning Commission recommended for City Council consideration. <br />The Planning Commission also recommended staff update the language related to a chicken/duck <br />keeping area and its proximity to principal dwellings on abutting properties to mirror the language <br />in the ordinance for bee hives. The ordinance for bee hives establishes that hives may be no closer <br />than twenty-five (25) feet to an occupied building on another lot and/or any public trail or <br />walkway. Staff updated the language for coop structures to match the language for bee hives, <br />which the Planning Commission has reviewed and recommended. <br />At a City Council Work Session, staff was directed to include language in the draft ordinance to <br />allow for a homeowner to repurpose a coop on their property if they decide to cease keeping <br />chickens and the coop is compliant with the accessory structure requirements. Language has been <br />added to allow for a conforming coop structure that is allowed as a second accessory, and in <br />conformance with the accessory structure requirements, to be repurposed by the homeowner. <br />Page 3 of 7 <br />