The Auburn City Council amended city code and zoning regulations to allow residents to keep chickens on residential property at its regular meeting on Tuesday.
The council amended Chapter 4, section 4-2 of the city code and Article 5 of the city’s zoning ordinance to allow residents to keep chickens.
The changes were at the request of residents who gathered signatures on a petition and brought the proposal to the Planning Commission, which recommended the change, according to council member Sheila Eckman.
Planning director Forrest Cotten said the amendments would require the chickens to be in permitted coops or cages. Neighborhood covenants could still prohibit chicken-keeping.
Residents could not keep roosters or slaughter chickens unless they have three or more acres of property, are within the stock district and are zoned rural, said City Manager Charlie Duggan.
The board also amended the zoning ordinance to make the definitions of “model homes” and “real estate sales offices” more distinct and extend the time period for temporary use.
Economic development
During the Committee of the Whole meeting, the council heard a presentation from Economic Development director Phillip Dunlap about a proposed incentive program using partial tax rebates to encourage commercial development.
Duggan said his office would try to bring a resolution to the council at its Aug. 2 regular meeting.
Dunlap said the program could be a tool to help accomplish the city’s development goals: The performance-based tax rebate program would allow the city to encourage development by new or existing small businesses by giving them tax rebates to help offset specific costs, which could include building renovations or landscaping improvements.
Dunlap said the program would allow the city to target areas such as Opelika Road for development or improvement.
The rebates could be capped annually, and Dunlap said the businesses would have to apply to the Economic Development Department, including proof of outside financing, under the proposal.
Dunlap said the rebates would not include taxes dedicated to city schools and would be available to businesses that generate sales taxes.
Responding to questions from the council, Dunlap said the program would help the city retain existing businesses and attract new ones. Council members were receptive, but expressed concerns about the perceived fairness of the program, generation of tax revenue and the size of the rebates.
In other business
Council members approved an agreement with Breckenridge Group Auburn Alabama LLC for the multi-family development Aspen Heights off of North Dean Road. The development agreement binds the developer to obligations including infrastructure improvements.
Also approved was a $120,000 contract with Machen McChesney & Chastain LLP for the annual independent audit required by state law.
Warren McCord was appointed to the Planning Commission, and Jay Conner was named to the Lee County Board of Equalization.
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