Wednesday, Mar. 03, 2010

In Garner, hens need an acre

Chickens aren't welcome here.

Not unless you have at least an acre of land. The Garner Town Council last week decided against allowing residents with smaller lots to raise hens.

The two members of the council's law and finance committee, which considered a proposal to change the rules, could not agree on a recommendation to the full board. Gra Singleton said he was in favor of allowing chickens. Kathy Behringer was not, and the council did not vote on the issue.

"We also have to consider the freedoms and the rights of people who don't want chickens," Behringer said.

Town staff had recommended setting standards if the council approved urban chickens.

They recommended allowing up to 10 hens, banning roosters and requiring chicken raisers to get a $25 permit.

Singleton said he thought the recommendation was reasonable, but the other four council members said they were happy with the town's current rule, which excludes most town dwellers. About 95 percent of in-town lots are smaller than an acre.

Behringer said she worried it would be costly for police to enforce the chicken rules. She also said Garner was close enough to rural areas where children can learn about hens.

Many people with chickens would surely keep their yards neat and clean, Behringer said. "[But] there are many, many, many people out there who will not do that," she said.

Kristen Warren, who lives just outside Garner's town limits, founded Friends of Hens and asked the town to allow urban chickens.

Early on, the homeowners' association of Greenbrier Estates subdivision voiced concerns.

Councilman Buck Kennedy said he did not want to cause trouble for homeowners' associations.

Warren is familiar with rejection when it comes to chickens.

She tried to convince the Cary Town Council to loosen its rules, but in the end, it decided to allow hens only in farm zones.

"Garner has a very good, down-to-earth feeling to me," Warren said. "I thought we would have been a little more open-minded."

Other Triangle towns have also debated chickens.

The Durham City Council voted to allow residents to keep up to 10 hens, as long as they get a permit. Raleigh has no limits on chickens.

No deer hunt either

The Town Council also decided against taking part in a state-approved deer hunt aimed at thinning the population.

Sixteen North Carolina towns allow bow hunting within town limits during the urban archery season, which runs from Jan. 10 through Feb. 14, before the regular archery season starts. The N.C. Wildlife Association runs the program.

Singleton said the police department worried about safety and enforcement.

"I think there are too many issues that can happen," Behringer said. As members of the law and finance committee, she and Singleton both suggested the Town Council not take part in the program.