City council has unanimously given the thumbs-up for residents to be allowed to have backyard chickens following a public hearing on Tuesday.
In a presentation to council, Tsawwassen resident Kristin Roberts, who last year submitted a petition with more than 900 names in support of Delta starting a pilot project, noted currently only a few residents are able to have their own chickens.
She noted other communities that allow the sustainable and organic practice, among others, include Vancouver, North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Surrey, Victoria, New Westminster, Toronto, and Seattle.
“We need to be a community that understands and supports the diversity of our neighbour’s choices and needs. While I can appreciate there will always be residents who do not like the idea of backyard chickens, as they believe they belong solely on farms, their objections are focused on potential personal impact, misinformation or bias,” she said.
“The current facts, data and information from other cities and academic literature show no evidence these concerns are remotely problematic on a community scale. Quite the opposite. The fears around noise, odours and pests are no different than the possibility of a barking dog, improperly stored garbage or messy bird feeders. These stem from individual mismanagement by a citizen, not a community problem. We cannot make decisions by just assuming the worst of our neighbours.”
Community planning director Marcy Sangret said it is new ground for the city, so staff want to proceed cautiously.
The bylaw amendment removes the current requirement of properties having chickens being located next to an agriculturally-zoned property, while no minimum lot size is proposed.
The city’s agricultural advisory committee examined the proposal, recommending that roosters be prohibited and the number of hens permitted on a property be restricted to four.
Hens will also be required to be licenced with the city and registered with the province through the Premises ID Program to assist with tracking of birds during any future disease outbreaks.
Requiring registration through the Premises ID program would align with recently announced provincial regulations starting in 2022, which will require all livestock and poultry to be registered, a report to council notes.
Coops and runs would be limited to a maximum of 108 square feet of combined indoor and outdoor space.
To reduce the spread of disease and pests, food is to be kept enclosed, and excess removed in a timely manner.
The program is to be reviewed after one year.
Coun. Lois Jackson, a member of the agricultural committee, said she hopes the city will catalogue all calls the bylaw department may be responding to during that time.
