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Date: 11/30/2023
AGAWAM — City councilors are considering a proposal to allow residents of single-family house lots to keep chickens.
The proposed ordinance will have a Planning Board public hearing Nov. 30 at the Senior Center, and another hearing at the City Council meeting on Dec. 4, also at the Senior Center. Councilor Anthony Russo, who is cosponsoring the proposal with Councilor Cecilia Calabrese, said it’s in its early stages and some details could change.
Russo said the ordinance originated with an Agawam family that requested a special permit to have chickens on its property. He and Calabrese realized no town ordinance existed to allow poultry on non-agricultural properties.
“We were a farm community back in the day, and a lot of people like that feel,” he said.
Agawam residents would be allowed to keep a few chickens for fresh eggs, Russo said. The councilor said a lot of people drive out of town to get fresh eggs from friends, or like the idea of sharing them with their neighbors.
“With the high cost of groceries today, they’re liking the idea to get a couple hens to produce their own eggs to save money for the family,” he said.
The proposed ordinance would allow hens in Residence A1 and Residence A2 zoning districts. They must be contained in a coop with 3 square feet per chicken, connected to an enclosed chicken run of at least 10 square feet, located in the back of the property.
The coop must be 15 feet from lot lines, 50 feet from any inhabited building on bordering properties, and 200 feet from “the high water mark of any known source of drinking water supply or any tributary thereof, or any surface water and at least 50 feet from any well,” the proposal specifies.
How many hens can be kept on a property would depend on how large it is. For lots smaller than half an acre, the limit would be six hens. For larger lots up to 1 acre, the limit is 12 hens. Lots larger than 1 acre can accommodate up to 18 hens. Hens in residential areas can be kept only for household use, not for commercial purposes. Only hens are allowed, not roosters.
Residents would be required to apply for a permit from the Agawam Health Department, for an annual fee of $100.
Poultry keeping can also be a disturbance to neighbors, particular due to the noise or the smell. Russo said that the ordinance is necessary not just to allow poultry keeping but to give neighbors and residents confidence they won’t be disturbed.
Asked about the potential hazards of keeping poultry on house lots, the Health Department pointed to guidelines from the federal Centers for Disease Control at cdc.gov/healthypets/pets/farm-animals/backyard-poultry.html. The CDC lists bird flu viruses, campylobacter, E. coli, and salmonella as pathogens that can be spread by poultry.
Russo is unsure as to how the public hearings will go. He said that, based on the feedback he’s received, people may show positivity towards the ordinance. He said people in favor of keeping hens “will be very pleased.” Both hearings are in the Senior Center at 954 Main St., Agawam. The Planning Board meeting starts at 6 p.m. on Nov. 30. City Council meetings typically begin at 7 p.m.