The Blacksburg town council has requested that the Planning Commission consider potential changes to the town code and zoning ordinances that would permit the keeping of chickens in town.
An Urban Chicken Resolution noted the town’s current ordinance established in 1997 limits chicken keeping to rural parcels of two or more acres, but recognized the national trend in keeping chickens in towns and cities.
Blacksburg resident Dan McKeague, who has no chickens currently, met with Mayor Hager-Smith last summer to talk about the history and possible future for chickens in town.
“The main reason for us, is outside of the obvious benefits of having our own eggs, with small kids, it’s a great way to get children exposed to urban agriculture and where their food comes from,” he said.
This has been a quiet effort. McKeague felt there isn’t a need for a raucous advocacy effort since urban chicken keeping not a radical idea, although he did expect there would be public discussion on the subject.
Neighboring towns also keep chickens. Christiansburg has allowed limited agricultural operations: raising chickens and keeping bees, in single-family residential areas since 2016.
Last year, 86 chickens were living somewhere in Christiansburg according to that town’s permit records.
McKeague feels well-established guidelines exist describing the best number of hens, discouraging the keeping of roosters and the adoption of science-based rules protecting chicken and human health.
“There are so many examples of good urban ag, in towns that have already established good structures and common sense rules, I think we can modernize in this way,” he said, “without creating an administrative burden.”
The council resolution listed the benefits of urban agriculture, pointing out that the town’s Comprehensive Plan values “sustainable practices…local food production, and the positive impact of having access to health food.”
Larger implications were also noted citing the undesirable environment impacts of large-scale commercial food farming techniques.
Keeping in mind “public necessity, convenience, general welfare and good zoning,” the town council wants to consider changes that would allow citizens to keep chickens in certain single-family residential areas that were not named.
The town council resolution sets in train research and review by the Zoning Ordinance review committee who will advise the Planning Commission. Work sessions and public hearings will follow.
To understand more about the procedure Blacksburg uses to modify town ordinances visit https://library.municode.com/va/blacksburg/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=CO_APXAORNO1137BLZOOR
