OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — Every morning, Ashlee Englund checks the chicken coop in the backyard of her Overland Park home. She collects about three eggs every day from her hens.
The Englunds acquired the chickens in the spring of 2022 under a pilot program the city launched to explore whether to allow backyard chickens.
“It was actually my husband’s idea,” Englund joked. “But I’ve enjoyed it, too, and the kids have really enjoyed the chickens.”
In a 7-3 vote Monday night, the Overland Park City Council approved making the pilot program a permanent ordinance. It officially takes effect Jan. 1, 2024.
One change the council made from the pilot program to the permanent ordinance is reducing the minimum acreage necessary for chickens from 0.25 acres to 0.2.
Five of the six applicants the city denied between March 2022 and April 2023 had lot sizes between 0.2 and 0.24 acres. They can reapply for permission to have urban chickens under the new, permanent law because it sets the minimum property size at 0.2 acres.
Residents on property between 0.2 and 2.99 acres need a permit from the city to have chickens. The size of their lot determines how many hens they can own — no roosters allowed.
The initial permit costs $100. The permit requires an annual renewal for $50.
To have chickens, owners must have a coop, fenced-in yard and must keep the coop a certain distance from property lines. The city does not allow coops in front yards.
“At first, I didn’t understand it all when we dove in,” Englund said.
But now, she is happy to comply with city standards for chickens and believes cementing the program in city codes will only benefit residents of Overland Park.
“I think it’s a positive thing for families that want to add this in for their kids and their own enjoyment,” Englund said.
Homeowners associations can create their own rules to prohibit chickens.
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