Ashlanders are trying to take the next step toward sustainability raising chickens and reducing water and energy consumption.
Tonight the city council discussed changing those green codes, making it easier for residents to save money and save the earth. A packed house spoke out, residents supporting urban farming.
Currently, chickens are not allowed within 75-feet of a neighbor’s home, but under proposed changes the distance required between homes would go down to 20 feet. The proposal would also allow more people to own up to five chickens within the city limits.
Another caveat, that it be for personal, not commercial use, but the size of the flock and the size of the chicken coops were the biggest point of contention among people who have experience raising fowl, who wanted to increase the size of both.
Kim Blackwolf of Ashland said “I think that we are on the way to what we need but we are pretty far away from what people are already going to do because they need to save money and their relationship with the earth.”
In the end, the council decided to send the issue back to the planning commission to discuss amending the size of the flock, but they did pass the solar, historic and deer fencing portion of the green codes.
© 2024 KOBI-TV NBC5. All rights reserved unless otherwise stated.