Plano’s planning and zoning commission voted 8-0 on Aug. 16 to change the city’s zoning ordinance as a first step to allow residents to keep backyard hens.
What’s next
The Plano City Council plans to vote Sept. 27 on whether to allow residents to own chickens. The council will also be responsible for ironing out any details such as how many a resident could own.
Can you have any kind of chicken?
Only hens would be allowed. Roosters would be prohibited.
What would residents have to do to keep hens?
The ordinance isn’t finalized, but the proposed changes would require residents who want to keep backyard hens to:
- Follow minimum square footage for coops
- Meet building code requirements for coops
- Meet distance requirements from neighboring buildings
Could residents sell the eggs?
Yes, backyard hen owners with a permit would be able to sell eggs if they abide by federal, state and local regulations.
What if I have an HOA?
Jamey Cantrell, the city’s director of animal services, said homeowner associations can still decide whether they will allow backyard hens in their neighborhoods.
Who’s behind the movement?
Plano Hens has collected 2,433 signatures on a petition in favor of the change, according to a Dallas Morning News editorial.
“We are passionate about the movement,” wrote group member Alysia Conolly in an email. “We are all hopeful to one day be able to raise our own flock.”
What are the rules in other cities?
Sachse and Fairview have generous limits or no limits at all on the number of chickens a resident can raise. Coppell and Plano forbid all chickens. Addison allows three birds per property and Garland four. In Dallas, there’s no maximum.
