Chickens, rabbits, goats now allowed in many Manlius neighborhoods

TOWN OF MANLIUS – Residents of many town of Manlius neighborhoods can now have backyard chickens, rabbits or pygmy goats.
After several weeks of discussion and public feedback, the town board voted to allow enclosures of up to 50 square feet to house up to 12 chickens or rabbits or two pygmy goats in most residential zones.
The law would not apply to the Homewood area, which has smaller lot sizes and different zoning from most of the town’s neighborhoods. It also would not apply to residents of the three villages within the town. The village of Fayetteville already allows chickens and has a specific permitting process for chicken applications.
Several neighborhoods in Manlius have homeowners’ association agreements that prohibit poultry and other agricultural animals. While the town law is not impacted by HOAs, those agreements are essentially contracts between the community and the homeowner that may be breached if a homeowner decides to adopt chickens.
The town law would not require a permit, but would require that chicken owners maintain their coops in a sanitary way and keep their flocks from leaving their property.
The proposed law elicited a lot of feedback from residents. During a public hearing that stretched over two town board meetings, Manlius residents voiced opinions on both sides of the issue. The board also received about 20 letters and numerous phone calls. Generally, public opinion favored passage of law, but some residents spoke of negative experiences they had with neighbors’ chickens and, in particular, roosters.
Stacy Hillenbrand said that several years ago, her neighbors had a flock of chickens that frequently came onto her property, damaging her landscaping and leaving their droppings behind. She could hear them beginning at 4 a.m. until late into the evening. They also attracted predators, she said.
“If given the choice, I would move to a community that did not allow this before I moved a community that did have it,” she told the board.
Supervisor Ed Theobald said that while he favors small government and fewer restrictions, he saw this new law as opening a “Pandora’s box.” Along with Councilor Karen Green, they were the two opposition votes on the law.
“We certainly don’t have the enforcement mechanisms in place,” Green said. “I’ve received many calls over the past few weeks that people are against this, as am I.”
Councilor Elaine Denton, who spearheaded the move to legalize chicken enclosures, said the voices in support far outweighed the voices against.
She added that it is the responsibility of the owner to maintain the coops in a sanitary way and to ensure that chickens don’t leave the homeowner’s property.
“If we find that there are issues, we will look into solutions to their problems,” she said. “We need residents to be responsible pet owners. Talk to your neighbors, listen to their concerns, if they have any, and be considerate.”
“And if your neighbors get chickens,” she added, “give them a chance.”