On Aug. 20, the South Ogden City Council voted to approve an ordinance removing chickens from the list of nuisance animals that are unlawful to keep within city limits.

The ordinance also established a regulatory framework for the keeping of chickens in residential neighborhoods.

“I feel really good about the rules and regulations that have been put in place,” South Ogden City Manager Matt Dixon told the Standard-Examiner.

“I think they strike a good balance between those who would like to have chickens that allows them to have chickens, but it also protects the neighbor who maybe isn’t super excited about chickens in their neighborhood.”

The new language in the city code states that hens “may be kept on a lot of a single-family residence for the sole purpose of producing eggs.” Roosters are not allowed.

Additionally, there are limitations on how many hens may be kept based on lot size. Those requirements are as follows:

There are also requirements for coop and run structures, location, storage for feed and more. Residents must apply for and receive permits to keep hens on their properties.

While the ordinance was approved by the council, concerns about code enforcement were voiced during the Aug. 20 meeting. Dixon says that issues of code enforcement and land-use regulation would continue to be evaluated by the city.

“If we’re going to have an ordinance to allow (chickens), we also need to be sure we have the ability to enforce the ordinance to be sure people are compliant with the new code,” Dixon said.

“We are taking a look at our code enforcement generally across the city and we’ll be having some discussions in the next few meetings.”

Meanwhile, the push to bring about an allowance for chickens in neighboring Washington Terrace continues. The issue was discussed during Thursday’s Planning Commission meeting but ultimately tabled.

Adam Stever, a Washington Terrace resident for the better part of two decades, attended the meeting and voiced concern over a lot-size requirement in the city’s proposed ordinance for the keeping of chickens.

Language in the version of the ordinance discussed in July states that “any chicken shall only be kept on a property containing a single-family detached dwelling unit with a minimum lot size of 20,000 square feet.”

“I brought to the planning commission that the (minimum lot size) was unreasonable,” Stever told the Standard-Examiner.

“The planning commission agreed, so it really just kind of opened up that conversation and we had open discussion and dialogue about what South Ogden City’s policy looks like, what Roy City’s looks like, West Haven, etc.”

Now, the commission seeks to retool the ordinance to find a solution that works for all parties. Stever praised the commission and the City Council for being willing to work through the issue.