The Oak Ridge North City Council discussed the city's backyard fowl and poultry restrictions and decided to make no changes during its Oct. 26 meeting.
About 50 citizens attended the meeting to urge the council to reduce the ordinance's minimum lot size, touting a 536-signature petition. Oak Ridge North has a population of 3,057, according to the 2020 U.S. Census.
The context
The city of Oak Ridge North's current ordinance restricts backyard poultry and fowl to properties larger than 1 acre. Katy and Montgomery have similar lot size restrictions, while Shenandoah and Houston do not, according to the meeting packet.
Oak Ridge North City Council previously discussed a Planning and Zoning Commission recommendation that would have reduced mandatory lot size to 1,500 square feet per hen during a meeting in May 2022. The City Council did not adopt the recommendation at that time.
Notable quote
Petition organizer Blaire Schuetz-Coakley said her family had to give up their birds after code enforcement found their property was not in line with the ordinance. After the family rehomed their birds, two of them, Nemo and Mabel, were killed by a fox, she said.
"Please do not let Nemo and Mabel's deaths be in vain," Schuetz-Coakley said. "Please update the outdated ordinance so that other backyard bird owners can keep their suburban flocks safe."
The other side
"Everybody else is trying to figure out ways to outdo the state, and the county right now is going to the state. They want more authority," Mayor Paul Bond said to another citizen. "To be honest, if you want chickens and cows and all that, go out in the county somewhere."
Also on the agenda
Oak Ridge North City Council also approved the purchase of three new police vehicles—two Chevrolet Tahoes and a Ford Explorer. The Chevrolets will be used as patrol vehicles, and the Ford will serve as an administrative vehicle. This purchase keeps Oak Ridge North's vehicle count at one patrol car for every officer.
The total cost for the vehicles and the equipment installation is $202,606 and will be paid out of the city's police budget.
Oak Ridge North City Council will hold its next meeting on Nov. 24.
