Palatine Council to Vote on Backyard Chickens

The Palatine village council will vote on Aug. 6 whether to grant a special use permit that would allow a

Vanessa and Jason Barsanti appeared before the Zoning Board of Appeals July 24 to plead their case to use a chicken coop to house chickens for egg production for personal use.

The Barsantis, who live near the intersection of W. Daniels Road and S. Elm Street, have a large garden and several trees on their half-acre property. 

The couple delivered a presentation to the board that addressed main concerns members may have regarding health, safety and noise concerns.

"The primary concern is salmonella, however, this is no more a concern than eggs that you buy in stores," Vanessa said. "It can easily be avoided by proper refrigeration, proper sanitation with us washing our hands and proper cooking of the eggs. It is not transmitted by air—it is only transmitted by touch and this wouldn’t be an issue for anyone other than the people coming into contact with our coop, which would be my husband and myself."

The zoning board unanimously recommended approval and village staff suggested the following conditions:

• Roosters prohibited from the property.

• The chicken coop should not exceed 50 square feet and shall be included as part of the lot coverage and building coverage for the property.

• The coop shall only be located in the rear yard and must be set back a minimum of 20 feet from the property lines and a total of 40 feet from any other adjacent principal structures homes.

• The coop shall be screened with either a 6-foot fence or densely planted landscaping in a manner acceptable to the Village of Palatine.

• The perimeter fencing along the side and rear yard of the subject property shall remain in place while the Accessory Unique Use is in existence.

• A maximum of six hens allowed.

• A business and operations plan shall be submitted in a manner acceptable to the village of Palatine and shall include specific details addressing the regular maintenance and cleaning of the structure.

• Any eggs produced shall not be used for business or commercial purposes.

• In addition to zoning approval with the village of Palatine the property owner shall obtain all other required permits and registration and provide proof of registration with the Illinois Department of Agriculture Livestock Premises Registration to the Village Environmental Health Department.

• The slaughter of hens at the property shall be prohibited.

The Palatine village council will vote on the matter at its August 6 meeting at 7 p.m. at 200 E. Wood Street.