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ARDEN HILLS PLANNING COMMISSION – September 3, 2025 12 <br /> <br />Chair Collins reconvened the Planning Commission meeting at 9:11 p.m. <br /> <br />B. Planning Case 25-007 – City of Arden Hills – Ordinance Amendments to Zoning <br />Code Section 1325.07, Subd. 6.A and City Code Section 410.01, Subd. 3 regarding <br />the Keeping of Chickens and Review for the Keeping of Ducks – Public Hearing Not <br />Required <br /> <br />Senior Planner Fransen stated the City Council has reviewed and discussed the ordinance for <br />the keeping of chickens at several City Council Work Sessions with suggested revisions. <br />Following these work sessions, direction was given to staff to incorporate the recommendations <br />into the ordinance for the Planning Commission to review. The Planning Commission reviewed a <br />draft version of the ordinance amendment for the keeping of chickens at the August 6, 2025 <br />meeting. The Planning Commission discussed multiple amendments to the draft language and <br />tabled the review with direction to staff to review and draft revisions related to: <br /> <br />1. Number of chickens: increase the number permitted to seven (7) <br />2. Coop size and location: modify language to allow for a larger maximum coop size and be <br />more clear about location requirements <br />3. Climate control: modify language to be less prescriptive <br />4. Cleanliness and enforcement/license revocation: review language for consistency with <br />other communities and modify to be less prescriptive <br />5. Roaming of chickens: review language to allow for chickens to move about a fenced area <br />within a backyard <br />6. Garages: consider updated language to allow for a chicken coop to be interior to a <br />detached garage <br />7. The neighbor consent policy: provide language to modify policy to neighbor notification <br /> <br />Senior Planner Fransen explained at the August 11 Special Work Session, the City Council <br />discussed the keeping of ducks. The City Council directed staff to bring forth the topic of the <br />keeping of ducks to the Planning Commission for discussion to occur along with the review of <br />ordinance language for chickens. The Planning Commission was asked to provide a <br />recommendation to the City Council on whether the inclusion of ducks should be considered in <br />city ordinances. Staff has revised the draft ordinance language to incorporate the City Council’s <br />directed revisions and the Planning Commission’s recommended revisions related to chickens. <br />Based on the Council’s direction for the Planning Commission to discuss whether ducks should <br />be incorporated in the ordinance language, staff has provided background information gathered <br />from adjacent communities and draft ordinance language to aid in the Planning Commission’s <br />review of this topic. <br /> <br />Senior Planner Fransen provided an overview of the Ordinance Amendments and provided the <br />Findings of Fact for review: <br /> <br />General Findings: <br />1. The City of Arden Hills is proposing to amend ordinance language for the keeping of <br />chickens. <br />2. The proposed ordinance will include amendments to the language of Chapter 13 – Zoning <br />Code of the City Code. <br />3. Amendments to the Zoning Code regulations require a public hearing prior to action by <br />the City Council. <br />4. The Planning Commission held the required public hearing on August 6, 2025