Discussion of Poultry Policy in Urban Agriculture Becomes Impassioned at Town Council Work Session

On Monday, December 4, at 7 p.m. in the Front Royal Town Hall at 102 East Main Street, the Front Royal Town Council met for a work session in which they spent a considerable amount of time discussing a proposed ordinance amendment to Town Codes related to poultry policy for Urban Agriculture uses. The discussion had been postponed from council’s regular meeting on September 25. The item was again postponed after an impassioned discussion in which Councilwoman Amber Morris expressed a strong opinion against certain included conditions.

Front Royal Town Council meets for a work session on the evening of December 4 in the Front Royal Town Hall. Royal Examiner Photos Brenden McHugh.

The proposed amendment to Town Code respecting chickens allows for an increase in ownership from six chickens to ten chickens by any residential dweller in possession of a permit, but it may capsize when it comes to a vote because of the regulations that are attached to it. It is these regulations that Morris strongly opposes. They would keep all chickens in coops with a floor space of four square feet for each chicken “and or” – in the language of the amendment – a run space allowing for eight square feet per chicken. “No poultry shall be permitted to run at large,” the amendment reads. Planning Director and Zoning Administrator Lauren Kopishke explained that this “codification” would not be unprecedented, as it reflects the standards by which the Town has operated in the past; it would simply give “teeth” to those prerequisites for owning chickens in residential areas which the Town has historically applied as it inspects, and grants permits. But allowing the chickens to range free in a fenced in area is a priority for both Councilwoman Morris and Councilman Josh Ingram.

Among the many inputs Virginia Cooperative Extension Services Agent Corey Childs gave to council, he claimed that in his experience, six chickens are on the high end for a residential permit. And in a scenario where chickens are ranging free in a fenced area, he remarked that clipping their wings would be a deterrent, but it would not absolutely prevent them from flying over the barrier. While he did not precisely say that free range is out of the question he raised some concerns, emphasizing the importance of cleanliness and advised council to stay on the safe side.

Council hears from Virginia Cooperative Extension Service Agent Corey Childs on concerns related to poultry policy in Urban Agriculture. Staff relies on Childs for his expertise.

For Morris, this issue is freighted with gravity as she promised one of her predecessors that she would pursue the goal of making urban space friendlier to agriculture. Unlike other council members, including recently installed Glenn Wood, who questioned whether a discussion on chickens surpassing half an hour is a legitimate use of council’s time, Morris considers it time well spent and believes there are many constituents who care deeply about this issue. The reality is that not all permit holders are completely in line with Planning and Zoning expectations, and Morris feels the codification of those expectations would be unfair to them. Non-compliance to the conditions under which the permit was given is a misdemeanor, but Kopishke explained in a private conversation after the public portion of the meeting that in such cases, the Planning and Zoning Department is content to simply revoke the permit without bringing a criminal charge.

After Mayor Lori Cockrell gathered a consensus that further discussion and informed guidance were needed, the item was postponed to a future work session. Having heard from Director of Finance B.J. Wilson, prior to the Urban Agriculture discussion, about a bid from Snyder Environmental Services, Inc., for the 2023 Sewer Rehabilitation Project, a bid which council expects to vote in favor of at the December 11 regular meeting, council quickly addressed several additional agenda items, and then went into closed meeting at 8:40 p.m. to receive legal counsel pertaining to HEPTAD litigation.

Click here to watch the December 4, 2023, Town Council Work Session.