Over the past year, local media coverage has touched on the topic of backyard poultry in the Barrington area. From complaints about plans for a large chicken farm in unincorporated Lake County to Tower Lakes’s recent enforcement actions to eliminate backyard poultry, nearby communities are struggling to regulate this newly popular trend.
As was recently reported in the Daily Herald , owners of a property in unincorporated Lake County (zoned agricultural) had applied for a permit to construct several buildings to house a large chicken egg production operation. Residents living in neighboring lots in North Barrington (which surround the parcel) complained about odor and noise from the existing chickens, and worried about the increased nuisance that would be created if hundreds or thousands of chickens would be permitted. Eventually, North Barrington forcibly annexed the land, with the goal of not eliminating the chicken farm, but to allow the village to exert more stringent controls on the operation. In terms of backyard chickens for personal enjoyment, North Barrington allows 6 hens on residential lots of 40,000 sq. ft. or greater.
Meanwhile in Tower Lakes, cease and desist orders have been issued to residents owning backyard chickens and ducks. Tower Lakes has taken the position that backyard poultry is not a permitted use according to their village code, and their Board of Trustees has taken the position that they do not wish to allow poultry ownership, even for personal use.
In marked contrast to these fellow BACOG neighbors, Barrington Hills has a long practice of not just allowing the ownership of poultry and other livestock for non-commercial purposes on residential properties, but actively promoting the tradition of the gentleman (or gentlewoman) farmer. Both the Village Code and the Comprehensive Plan recognize the history of agricultural pursuits within our borders, and residential properties throughout the village are populated not just with poultry, but horses, alpacas, honeybees, donkeys, and goats. On those properties which zoned for agricultural use, ownership of most types of livestock is allowed.
These property freedoms certainly differentiate Barrington Hills from nearly all other suburban Chicago communities, but they also allow residents to pursue their interests and hobbies in a way that is least impactful to their neighbors due to our large 5-acre parcels. In the case of backyard poultry in particular, residents don’t just benefit from fresh eggs daily, but these birds also provide ample fertilizer for gardens and natural pest control. Reading the daily headlines, you can’t help but note the increasing problems with E. coli and Salmonella contamination in commercially produced eggs, fruits and vegetables.
And, in a time when even the City of Chicago allows backyard chickens, it is disappointing that some of our fellow BACOG neighbors do not share our village’s enthusiasm for the farm-to-table movement. As always, the Observer hopes that hobby farming pursuits will be undertaken in a manner that is fully respectful and least disruptive to adjacent properties.
We are heartened that our current administration is supportive and encouraging of local agriculture. This type of property freedom is what makes Barrington Hills distinctive in the region and gives our children a unique opportunity to witnesses the wonders of nature first-hand.
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