CLICK BELOW TO HEAR JACK HALL’S INTERVIEW WITH TYLER ANTHONY, CITY OF ESCANABA
The City of Escanaba Planning Commission is considering the possibility of making it legal for residents to have chickens and other poultry on their property.
Tyler Anthony, the city’s Planning and Zoning Administrator, tells RRN News that even though it’s technically illegal to keep chickens within city limits, some people have been doing it anyway.
“Our code enforcement crew over at Public Safety has come across more and more of these chicken coups being kept,” Anthony said. “Our assessment team has been finding them as well. And at the same time, through COVID and all the aftermath, we’ve seen more of an interest in producing food for one’s own family. Being able to provide eggs, which have been quite expensive, it’s something that’s certainly worth a look. Both in terms of economic viability, and sustainability, and the movement to create your own food.”
The first step will be for the Escanaba Planning Commission, likely at its early October meeting, to bring up a proposed amendment to the ordinance that currently bans chickens being kept within city limits. Anthony says that it will be include a public hearing, where people can make comments one way or another, but commissioners are not allowed to reply to any of those comments or answer questions.
Ultimately, the final decision will rest with the Escanaba City Council.
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