09-03-25 PC Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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ARDEN HILLS PLANNING COMMISSION – August 6, 2025 4 Commissioner Burlingame explained chickens were social birds and he supported the increase in the number of chickens to six and even seven. He suggested residents be allowed to have up to eight chickens through a CUP noting this would align with surrounding cities. He commented the coop size of 20 square feet should not apply to families that only want one or two chickens. He recommended the coop size more closely align with the number of birds a family has. He recommended coops not be placed in front of neighboring windows and that the language regarding cleaning routines be reconsidered. Lastly, he suggested the City limit licenses based on lot sizes or chicken licensing concentration. Commissioner Birken stated she was glad the City Council was reviewing this ordinance. She believed the original ordinance was not workable and overly prescriptive. She agreed 100% neighbor consent was an overreach and indicated she liked the idea of notice instead. She asked if the City was regulating dogs and cats to the same level as chickens. Senior Planner Fransen reviewed the Animal Licenses City Code language that pertained to cats and dogs and noted the section did not address cleanliness or disposal of deceased. Chair Collins commented one clarification the Commission may need to consider within this ordinance is if chickens are farm animals or pets. Further discussion ensued regarding how nuisances will be addressed for chickens. Chair Collins opened the public hearing at 7:17 p.m. Chair Collins invited anyone for or against the application to come forward and make comment. Lynn Diaz, 1143 Ingerson Road, explained she was happy to see the good changes that had been made to the ordinance. She strongly objected to requiring residents to receive written support from all adjoining properties. She believed this did not make any sense. She supported allowing anyone to have chickens so long as they follow the City’s requirements. She reported dogs were much more likely to affect the neighbors than chickens. She did not want to see the City pitting one neighbor against another. She questioned why the City chose a maximum coop size and believed it would be beneficial for residents to have larger more attractive coops. She explained she would like more information regarding how the pen was defined. She recommended the City further define legitimate complaints and cleaning standards. She suggested there be more allowance to let chickens roam about a backyard, especially for residents that have a six foot fence. She recommended the fee remain at $15 per coop and that the City not charge a fee per chicken, because this may become a hardship. She indicated she knew of other residents that would have comments regarding chickens but they were not aware of this meeting. She suggested the City send out a newsflash or other public notice to residents in order to make them aware of matters like this. There being no additional comment Chair Collins closed the public hearing at 7:30 p.m. Chair Collins asked for language changes from the Commission for the ordinance. Commissioner Birken recommended the ordinance be changed to require neighbor notice instead of consent. She recommended the location and placement of chicken coops be more closely aligned with the beehive placement language. She recommended that a light bulb not be required in the chicken coops but that climate control be regulated by the property owner. She