Auburn P&Z recommends no chickens; city council to vote Thurs. night

The Auburn Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously recommended Wednesday night that the city’s code not be amended to change the definition of livestock to allow chickens to be considered pets in single-family homes.

The proposed change will affect a Van Street resident who told the Barrow Journal she was recently cited for breaking city code for yards of sale, transfer or temporary holding of livestock on account of her six chickens, none of which she said she did.

Three Auburn residents and one property owner spoke against the proposed change to the current ordinance and four Auburn residents spoke in support of it.

Arguments for changing the code to amend the definition of livestock include that chickens offer a measure of pest control, provide healthy egg production for the single-dwelling family that keeps them, the production of fertilizer, noise and odor are less than what is produced by most dogs and Barrow County allows chickens.

Arguments for keeping the current definition include an increase in enforcement, a lack of facilities to house unwanted or hazardous chickens, odor and noise.

According to Larry Lucas, city planner, the results of a citywide survey placed in city hall and in the Auburn library yielded that 70 percent of survey-takers had no objection to keeping chicken.

The city council will vote to amend or kept the current code Thursday at 7 p.m. in the council chambers.