Bel Air town officials are considering allowing people to keep more chickens in their yards than is currently allowed.
The proposed changes to the town's development regulations were prompted in part by a resident who asked the town in February to consider changing the regulations so he could keep 10 laying hens in a coop on his property.
No decision has been made and no timeline for dealing with the issue has been established, though the issue is to be presented to the town's planning commission for further input.
Chickens are considered farm animals under the town code, and property owners must have at least two acres to keep a minimum of two chickens under the current development regulations, Planning Director Kevin Small told the town commissioners during a work session Tuesday evening.
The placement of chicken coops and pens is regulated in terms of accessory structures to a house, Small noted.
A 100-foot setback from the primary residence is required for one to two chickens, 150 feet for three to 10 birds and 200 feet for 11 or more.
"If you look at a minimum of two acres, you're looking at excluding a vast majority of the town," Small said. "If you want more than two chickens, you're going to need more than 2 acres."
The planning director's proposed changes would shrink that requirement to two chickens on a quarter of an acre.
Small noted the changes would not just apply to the case of the town resident, Arlo Glover, who is trying to keep his family's flock intact.
"We can't look at that in terms of one particular piece of property," Small said of changing the regulations. "It's got to be holistic."
Glover declined to comment Wednesday on the proposal; he said he was waiting to hear more information from town officials.
Town officials have not taken action against Glover. Small said in February officials would put any action "on hold" while they study the issue.
Small said Tuesday the leaders of the homeowners' association in Glover's community on the southeastern edge of Bel Air are also waiting to see what the town will do.
"It's the chicken or the egg," Small deadpanned.
Town Administrator Jesse Bane acknowledged Bel Air leaders are "kind of in a quandary," but he encouraged the commissioners to develop a solid, across-the-board strategy for dealing with Glover's case and any others that come up, then not delay enforcing it.
"If we're not going to enforce the [current] code, we should just repeal it all together," he said.
Small proposed allowing a minimum lot size of 10,000 square feet, or about a quarter of an acre, for two chickens and 5,000 more square feet for every additional chicken.
He proposed allowing a maximum of four to six chickens per residence, however, and the birds would be limited to egg-laying hens. A 100-foot setback would also be required for a chicken coop, plus a fence around the birds' living area.
"I want to keep the number down to a manageable level so there is not an accumulation of manure, so there are not health issues," Small said. "I think four to six is the maximum number that I would want to go."
Town Commissioner Edward Hopkins took issue with the proposed space requirements.
"I'm just having trouble wrapping my head around two hens and 10,000 square feet," Hopkins said. "That's a lot of space for two hens."
Hopkins asked Small how many birds he could keep on his lot, which is a third of an acre; Small estimated 15,000 square feet, meaning Hopkins could keep three chickens.
"What I'm trying to do is just take your temperature," he told the commissioners. "I need to know how to proceed with this existing situation."
Hopkins noted Bel Air's philosophy of promoting sustainability and buying local farm products.
"I would be encouraged to change the ordinance to make it more flexible," he said.
Small said there also are residents who want to keep animals defined as agricultural such as pot-bellied pigs and goats in their yards, and he stressed the town should address regulatory issues as soon as possible.
"I also don't want to have somebody get rid of [animals] now and make it permitted next year," he said.
Bane and Mayor Robert Reier brought up concerns about more chickens attracting predators looking for small animals and creating an additional risk for other pets.
Reier said foxes have been seen around town, and "quite a few" hawks live in Rockfield Park.
Bane, who lives in Fallston, said an owl nearly grabbed one of his teacup Yorkshire terrier dogs, possibly thinking the tiny dog was a rabbit or a squirrel.
"A hawk isn't going to discriminate," Bane said. "He doesn't care if it's your chicken or your dog."
Small said he would also bring the matter to the town's planning commission and seek public input before the commissioners take action.