On April 8, the City Council in Highland Park had a meeting in which it entertained the idea of permitting chickens in backyards.
The council will discuss the matter again in May and asked staff to come up with permits and regulations for the ordinance. There would be an amendment to the city's code about nuisances, which has limits on keeping fowl such as geese, non-homing pigeons, chickens, ducks, and turkeys.
Fowl must be at least 100 feet away from a property line and 300 feet away from other residents' homes. Following those guidelines, a resident can have 25 birds. A few areas in North Shore, like Evanston and Deerfield, have permitted owning chickens in the backyard within the last 10 years.
Rob Sabo, the Assistant City Manager on the council said that in 2014, the council discussed chicken coops for small residential properties but dropped the idea. He believes that proper sanitation and regulations could prevent nuisances and public health issues.
Sabo continued that according to research, rearing chickens gives a person control over what they eat and creates a bond between animals and humans. The health risks only affect people who touch the birds and eat their meat and eggs, but education and specific laws could prevent most of the risk. Flyer printing services can distribute notices of the new amendment if it passes.
