More Marietta residents can now have backyard chickens. Here’s how.
Marietta has posted online the applications you’ll need if you want chickens in your backyard.
The city council voted Feb. 8 to loosen the rules about which homes are eligible for chickens. At least 5 acres of land was previously required. The number’s been reduced and chickens are now allowed on a lot of 15,000 square feet — about a third of the previous size restriction the council mandated.
“They’re trying to listen to (things) the citizens of Marietta want, and chickens was one,” Lindsey Wiles, city spokeswoman, said Friday.
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You can use the city's online search tool to see if your property is eligible for chickens. One resident has applied thus far under the new rules, Wiles said.
The process involves two steps: completing the application to house chickens, and obtaining a regular building permit for the required coop.
Remember: You’re only allowed four chickens (no roosters), and they can only be kept as pets or used for their eggs.
Here are some additional guidelines:
- You'll need a sketch of your property showing all existing and proposed structures, including coops and fences, and how far away they are from property lines.
- Chickens can only be kept on properties with at least one resident.
- The coops can't be higher than eight feet.
- Chickens must be kept in a fenced area in the rear yard at least 20 feet from any property line and 10 feet from the property's main structure. The minimum fenced area for chickens is 25 square feet per chicken.
- Coops and the enclosed "run area" (not inside the coop but the area where they roam) can't be more than 100 square feet.
- Coops must be kept cleaned and secured at all times.
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