By Jennifer Eisenbart
Editor
For most people, the concept of raising chickens in a residential area likely involves single-digit numbers.
One woman on Bohners Lake, however, has launched that number into the double digits – and her neighbors are none too happy.
Several Bohners Lake residents came to the Town of Burlington Board meeting June 9 to complain about a woman on Fish Hatchery Road who, according to them, has 40 to 50 chickens in her yard – including a handful of roosters.
Rather than just complaining, however, the residents brought forth the idea of the Town Board establishing an ordinance limiting the number of chickens one person can have.
“Basically, we live in a residential area,” said Tedd Lupella, who lives on Bohner Drive, just a few houses from the woman. “We are not in any fashion saying that we would like there to be nothing.”
Added his wife, Christine, “This isn’t just about a neighbor we’re unhappy with. There isn’t an ordinance in place.
“I think it would be something that’s good for the town,” she added.
The couple provided documentation on the town’s nuisance ordinance, and also the Town of Norway’s chicken ordinance as examples of what might work.
The overriding concern, Tedd Lupella said, is that they had called the Department of Health over the large number of chickens – and were told nothing can be done without an ordinance in place.
His suggestion, as a start, would be to limit a residence to four chickens and no roosters. He has no problems with 4-H projects or small individual coops, but the large number in this woman’s yard are creating a problem.
The Lupellas weren’t the only residents there. Fred and Lois Rupert, who live on Fish Hatchery Road, said that the situation is “bad, very bad” because of the noise.
“Nobody talked to us,” Lois Rupert said. “Nobody once mentioned that this lady was going to bring in four or five dozen chickens.”
Town Board members seemed mostly sympathetic, though Town Chairman Ralph Rice pointed out there are a number of things that do not have ordinances regulating them.
However, Town Supervisor Jeff Lang said he understood the intrusion. He likened the problem to finding out what kind of hammer was needed, “if it’s a nail, or a railroad spike.”
He also added, “Your freedom to swing your fist ends where my nose starts.”
Town Building Inspector Jack Daams voice concerns about the various structures and the woman’s home, but Tedd Lupella steered the conversation back to the chickens, which is what he said needed to be addressed.
While there was no action taken at the meeting, Town Supervisor Tyson Fettes thanked the residents for coming, and said the board would look into the situation.
Lang added, “I think we want to do that,” in terms of setting an ordinance, but the town doesn’t “want to create a monster.”
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