Officials: Chickens won’t be coming home to roost in Blan

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BLANCHESTER — Officials have rejected an ordinance that would have allowed village citizens to keep chickens on their properties without coops.

On Thursday, the Village of Blanchester Council decided to vote against the ordinance because many felt it was unnecessary and also didn’t like the idea of chickens being in the village.

“There’s a lot that goes into how many chickens can a person have, no roosters. What a resident needs to know is you can’t keep them on your front porch, you can’t keep them in your garage, you can’t keep them in your house. They’ve got to be kept in a coop,” said Blanchester Mayor John Carman, when explaining the ordinance. “Then the other aspect of that is if you allow them to have a run, it has to be attached to the coop and it can only be a certain size.”

The chicken runs would be called an accessory building which would require a zoning permit. The structure would also have to be hidden by a fence, wall, or landscape. All feed would have to be maintained in a container to prevent infestation. The coop would also have to be clean and maintained.

If any violation is found there would be a $100 fee “each day the violation occurs” according to Carman.

“But at the same time, (the Village of Blanchester) would send a notice, (the resident) would have a certain amount of time to correct it and if not their permit will be revoked,” he said.

Council member Don Gephart recalled times when he encountered residents who owned chicken and none were positive experiences — including one resident who harvested the chicken waste for manure.

The council also decided to not go further in any chicken-related discussions.

Also during council:

• The council approved a resolution urging the legislative branch of the federal government and the State of Ohio to “enact legislation to further protect the citizens of the Village of Blanchester, Ohio from the inherent dangers of a train derailment of the tracks located or near” the village.

• The council praised the efforts made in cleaning up the Blanchester cemetery, including Mickey Wise who had been cleaning the headstones.

Reach John Hamilton at 937-382-2574

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