Neighbors in one Gwinnett County community are concerned about a controversial ordinance under consideration that would allow residents to raise chickens on their property.
“Once they start crowing they don't stop. It's about every 15 seconds,” Norcross resident Joel Heysel said.
Heysel and other neighbors are worried people will be allowed to raise chickens in their yards.
Channel 2 Action News went to his neighborhood and saw roosters and hens Monday night, walking through one neighbor’s yard. We first visited the neighborhood in 2013 and found a similar scene. On that occasion, the county rounded up many of the chickens, but neighbors say they did not get them all.
“It is an excellent start in the direction of helping people get involved with providing healthier food for them and their families,” Suwannee resident Carol Hassell said.
At a county planning commission meeting on June 2, Hassell spoke in support of the ordinance, which would let anyone with a lot of 10,000 square feet raise three chickens. Larger lots could own more.
Not all agree, and some argue there are more consequences than just the crowing sounds.
"It's going to bring predators back into this are you're going to have more raccoons, foxes and coyotes," neighbor Bill Stansberry said.
Stansberry said he sees chickens in his yard too, along with safety concerns. He said the new ordinance will only make an existing problem worse.
“They don't enforce it now so what makes you think they're going to enforce it when they change it?” he asked.
