Agawam City Council OKs backyard chicken policy

AGAWAM — Even through the challenges and hard work that come with being new parents, Ned and Christina Ehle remained dedicated to Sparkle Shine and her sisters, their responsibly raised backyard chickens.

Thanks to an amended ordinance that allows residentially raised chickens, which was voted into place 10-1 by the Agawam City Council on Monday, the Ehles will be able to keep Sparkle Shine and the other chickens that they purchased last spring.

Ned Ehle said their coop not only adds beauty and charm to neighborhood, but his 6-month-old baby also ate his first egg this December.

“What a joy it was to know that they were fresh and highly nutritious, and they were from our chickens, that we know are kept healthy. … Much like a garden, people who keep hens invest to secure their own source of food, because of the benefits of homegrown food. You want to know what you are eating and feeding your family,” Ehle said.

Ehle was in front of the City Council on Monday to address lingering concerns about the amended ordinance.

The process and requirement of getting a special permit through the Zoning Board of Appeals is sufficient to ensure people will keep chickens responsibly and give neighbors the opportunity to have their voices heard, Ehle said.

Chicken owners, including the Ehles, have plenty of motivation to uphold the requirements, he said.

“People don’t want trouble. I certainly don’t. We want to quietly enjoy the keeping of a few chickens for our tables, for families’ children’s education and companionship,” he said.

Councilor Robert E. Rossi voted against the ordinance. He said he only voted yes on the first reading to continue the discussion. He did not support the ordinance because there were not enough control standards, in his opinion.

“(The ordinance) should be written on soft paper. It is meaningless to me, because there are no fees, no fines, no enforcements or controls. I am not keen on the keeping of chickens for an accessory use on residential property,” Rossi said.

Any neighborhood nuisances would be difficult to enforce, Rossi said.

Rossi said it reminded him of a time when a resident wanted to keep goats for his wife.

“It was a sticky problem, and the town ended up assuming the responsibility,” Rossi said.

Chickens have foul smells, are a messy breed and are easily susceptible to disease, he added.

Councilors Cecilia P. Calabrese and Anthony J. Russo co-sponsored the amended ordinance. Russo said, while he knows that the City Council will never make everyone happy, he and Calabrese made sure rules were in place to ensure fairness to all residents.

City Council President and Mayor-elect Christopher C. Johnson said written in the city’s zoning is a segment on enforcement.

Johnson said, as an attorney who worked on the backyard goat issue, he thinks it is a different situation, because the resident filed a discrimination case in Land Court, which was ultimately was dismissed.

The amended ordinance also clarifies the definition of a farm, which is agricultural property that is 5 acres or greater.

“This provides order to the chaos,” he said.

Additionally, Johnson said current Mayor William P. Sapelli said there will be two yearly inspections, one by the animal control officer and the other by the Health Department.

Johnson said, when residents obtain a special permit, they grant the right for inspection of the property, and the enforcers also have the right to levy fines and act on criminal complaints.