Ellisville Ponders Urban Chickens

It might be the country’s next big trend in agriculture, but neighbors in Ellisville aren’t going Gonzo.

The Ellisville City Council is considering re-writing city ordinances that deal with domesticated animals, which follows complaints from neighbors against an Ellisville man who’s raising three “urban chickens” on his property.

“The man has them caged in his garage, and he opens his garage door every day to let the chickens get some air,” said Ada Hood, Ellisville’s director of planning and development. “They are cooped. And I think the neighbors look into his garage and see the cooped chickens and complain about it.”

The issue has grown in interest lately, with more urbanized areas throughout the country considering adopting more laxed rules for keeping animals, .

“I’ve had several residents ask me about chickens and how a lot of other municipalities are starting to allow them with this big movement of having you produce your own … organic home grown foods,” Councilmember Dawn Anglin said at a work session following .

Hood said the issue becomes somewhat unclear because of a disparity between Ellisville’s existing code versus the city’s norms and enforcement practices.

“Basically, a specific section of that article prohibits all domestic animals except cats or dogs,” Hood said. “So people can’t have rabbits, people can’t have turtles, people can’t have fish, people can’t have birds, and people we know are doing that.”

Councilmember Michelle Murray said she’d oppose any new legislation permitting chickens on residential properties, largely because of existing concerns over domesticated animals.

“We have enough trouble just with people taking care of their dogs and cats, let alone going down this path," Murray said. “So I would not support an ordinance that allows chickens.”

Mayor Matt Pirrello said he isn’t necessarily opposed to such a proposal, but noted that enforcing necessary limitations dealing with cleanliness and other issues would require city inspectors to have unrestricted property access.

“I don’t see how there could be any other way [without] some kind of licensing process.”

Pirrello said City Manager Kevin Bookout will conduct a formal survey of other cities that allow non-traditional domesticated animals and report back to councilmembers at the board’s August 17 council meeting.