The Moab City Planning Commission voted unanimously last week to recommend the Moab City Council approve an ordinance allowing “backyard chickens” in the city. The planning commission did make several changes to the proposed ordinance.

The issue will now be forwarded to the city council, and if passed, could be enacted as early as April or May.

Proposed ordinance 2009-01 would allow Moab residents to raise chickens (hens only) for non-commercial egg laying at homes in residential zones and at single-family dwellings in commercial zones. While the essence of the proposal didn’t change, the new draft of the ordinance includes a variety of new details related to regulations and implementation.

One of the biggest changes dealt with just how many chickens should be allowed. Because of issues raised at a recent public hearing about the number of chickens permitted in the old draft – four without a permit and 10 with a permit – the planning commissioners decided to slightly increase those numbers. The new draft now allows for up to six chickens without a permit and up to 12 if a permit is granted. The commission recommended that the permits, which would be given after a site visit, should have a one-time cost of $20.

“I’m not into the idea of an unlimited number of chickens. I do think that four is a small number,” said commissioner Kelly Thornton during the meeting. “I think six to eight makes more sense.”

Fellow commissioner Kara Dohrenwend agreed. To ultimately end up with four chickens, explained the experienced poultry owner, you may have to start out with six chicks. Inevitably, some will die and others may turn out to be roosters.

As for the four square feet required for each chicken in its hen house, Dohrenwend pointed out that the square footage could be achieved horizontally or vertically – in a “layered coop,” as she described it.

A 10-square-foot chicken yard will still be required under the new draft.

Due to concerns raised by some citizens at the public hearing, the proposal was also changed to include a brand new section on enforcing the ordinance’s rules. It details the legal consequences if the ordinance’s guidelines are not followed and explains the steps involved in revoking a permit.

The complete document is available online at the planning department section of the city government website, www.moabcity.org/government.

A pamphlet, meant to prepare future chicken owners for the task is also available at the Moab City Planning and Zoning office, 217 E. Center St.

Other changes to the draft included a definition of the word “chicken coop” and the inclusion of a subdivision in the RA-1 zone of Moab.

The planning commission unanimously agreed to move the issue on to the city council for consideration. One commissioner, however, voiced skepticism about the proposal as a whole.

“I’m just imaging how many people will take advantage of this,” said Wayne Hoskisson. “I can’t believe very many.”

Dohrenwend and Thornton disagreed. Dohrenwend reminded him that during the well-attended public hearing, support for the ordinance had far outweighed criticism.

“I think a lot of people already have chickens,” she said.