Ashland aldermen hatch plan to revisit chicken restrictions in city limits

More Ashland homes may soon become eligible for residents to build coops and raise chickens.

The Ashland Board of Aldermen is expected to consider changes to the city’s chicken restrictions during its next regular meeting Oct. 7.

The decision to revisit the rules comes after resident Tara Lane appeared before the aldermen Sept. 16 seeking relief from the existing rules. Lane told the aldermen she recently was issued a citation for violating the rules, which generally require chicken coops to be at least 75 feet away from any nearby homes.

The rules also allow a maximum of five chickens per household.

The distance requirement can be reduced in 15-foot increments, based on how many chickens the homeowner has below the five-chicken limit. For example, a homeowner with only four chickens would need to have a coop at least 60 feet from nearby homes, and someone with only three chickens could keep the coop at least 45 feet from homes and so on.

Lane, who had five chickens, argued that there are few homes in Ashland that could follow the ordinance.

“When I was speaking with the officer that came to the house, he took a measurement off of Google Maps from house to house within the neighborhood, and none of the houses were within that range,” she said. “When I went throughout the city itself, literally there were maybe a handful of houses that meet that requirement.”

Ward III Alderman Bryce Beal made a motion for staff to draft an amendment to reduce the distance from 75 feet to 25 feet, with a reduction of five feet per chicken under the maximum amount of five total chickens. Beal’s motion was seconded by Ward I Alderman Kent Dunwiddie.

Lane said she moved her chickens to a friend’s home in another community after receiving the citation.

Help with buying homes for city workers

During the Sept. 16 meeting, the aldermen also approved a plan in which the city’s employees could be eligible for interest-free loans to help with a down payment on a home.

The city will partner with HomePerk, a company that will offer interest-free loans on down payments for city employees. The partnership will not cost the city any additional money.

“The mortgage industry is built on this idea that people have $10,000, $20,000, $30,000 laying around, when the average American has less than $2,000,” said Josh Kaplan, the owner and CEO of HomePerk.

The motion was passed with all aldermen in favor. Ward II Alderwoman Kristin Colbert was not in attendance.