No backyard chickens in Dingman, supervisors decide

By Anya Tikka
DINGMAN TOWNSHIP — A proposal that would allow Dingman residents to keep backyard chickens is being left unhatched.
Residents came out to a public hearing to object to the unhygienic conditions they say chickens cause.
Joli Taryla, who made the original request last October, was not present at the hearing.
Township supervisors said it was good that residents came out to air their views, and regretted that the residents who wanted to keep chickens didn’t attend the hearing so that their differences could be discussed. In the end, the board decided to deny the proposal.
'My neighbors have chickens'A Dingman couple who didn’t want their names published objected to the proposed zoning change that would allow up to six domestic chickens on a one-acre lot. The resident said he lives next door to a neighbor with chickens, and described the conditions there as unsanitary and unsightly.
“My neighbors have chickens," he said. "That's why I'm here. I don't think an acre is enough. It’s not that big.”
After fitting your house, septic, and well on one acre, he said, there's not much room left.
There’s chicken poop and compost piled right next to his property.
“My well is in the middle of the yard,” he said. “I have water problems. But my main problem is animals — raccoons, black bears. Last year there were eight raccoons, and skunks. I wake up in the middle of night with a gunshot and the smell of skunk in the air.”
Birds of prey constantly circle above, he said. And a hawk built a nest in his tree to be near the chickens.
“Eagles took one of their chickens," he said.
The chickens are attracted to the nice grass growing in his yard and dig it up. He said he's tired of coming home after work and having to clean up the mess.
He reluctantly had to call in Chris Wood, the township code enforcement officer.
The couple expressed regret about having to report the problem, but that nobody enforces zoning.
They said they’ve been asked: “Are you chicken police?”
They said they couldn’t take it anymore.
Setting iimitsSupervisors chair Tom Mincer said the proposed ordinance, if approved, would not be automatic.
“They have to come in for conditional use," said Mincer. "There are limits and they have to be kept.”
The resident said that, in his case, the chickens are already there.
“I live next to this monstrosity and can see it from my front porch," he said. “My yard is impacted with faces.”
His property now has water problems.
“E. coli and salmonella live at least six months in soil," he said. "And you need to be a scientist to make compost.”
Compost must sit for 45 days before it's spread, resulting in two compost piles going at the same time, he said.
The proposed ordinance outlines distances required between chickens and wells, but the resident said even 50 feet is too close.
His wife had concerns over how the yard looks.
“It has to be presentable for neighbors," she said, presenting photos.
They also asked: “Who are the people who are pushing this — not here?”
Some areas to get closer lookSupervisor Dennis Brink said the residents brought up a lot of good points.
After some deliberation, Mincer said, “At this point in time, we’re not passing this. The only thing we’ll be looking at the next meeting is the regulatory part of the second ordinance which was allowing of chickens in certain areas. The zoning ordinance was to change the zoning to allow it in Neighborhood Commercial (NC) lots. Regulatory issues that were brought up will be discussed at our next meeting — wells and property lines.”
A letter from the Pike County Planning Commission recommended that other zones in the district also be considered for the zoning change if it were passed.
Solicitor John Klemeyer said, “If you could have had chickens on your property under the old ordinances, you still can. And now, the township may adopt additional regulations, and that’s going to be discussed at the next meeting.”