The Palm Coast City Council’s rejection of a pilot program that would have allowed chickens in a handful of backyards is disappointing. But the council since its earliest days has tended to run the city more as a homeowners association bound to conformity and the somnolence of residents out to pasture rather than as a vibrant city welcoming of differences, innovation, young and working people.
We saw this when the city shot down home-based bakeries a decade ago, just as the economy was beginning to redefine the workplace. We saw it two years ago when the city renewed its ban on essential workers parking their small trucks in driveways. We saw it two months ago when the city rejected up to $15 million in grant money to build electric vehicle charging stations. Now we see it in a city of Babbitts banding up against chickens.
This kind of shuffling timidity isn’t becoming of an ambitious city. We create unnecessary choke points that could instead be the welcoming emblems to those self-reliant Americans Emerson so prized in the rising spirit of his time.
Code Enforcement Manager Barbara Grossman’s proposal would have permitted up to 25 backyard coops, four hens maximum, no roosters, all strictly regulated and even subject to neighbors’ consent, which would have been absurd, though I’d love to have that kind of say over my neighbors’ insufferable dogs.
Twenty-five permits is barely a pilot program. It’s more like a Future Problem Solvers project that happens to spread out in a few yards, the way one such (winning) projects did with bats a few years ago, with no objections from anyone. Chances are that there are many more undocumented coops now, ICE enforcement against illegal chickens being what it is. The pilot program would have amounted to an amnesty. But you know how our red neighbors feel about amnesties.
Arguments against backyard chickens were not convincing, starting with Councilman Nick Klufas’s entirely Machiavellian calculation. I don’t think he’s personally opposed to backyard chickens at all. He grew up with them. He’s a live and let live kind of guy. But he’s running for County Commission, and he literally said that he can’t have backyard chickens attached to his name. That’s politics. But it’s certainly not the kind of leadership he displayed in his demolition of the witch-hunt for a forensic audit of city accounts.
True, as Klufas projects, 85 percent of voters would shoot down backyard chickens in a referendum. But they’d do so mostly in reaction to the inevitable mold clogging social mierda: false assumptions, misinformation, prejudice. Chickens, goes the claim, attract rodents. Not exactly: garbage, standing water, bird feeders and food left out attracts rodents, so your backyard is already there. Chicken coops can be rodent proof, and chickens are a natural form of pest control. The chemicals in your lawn are still more destructive to us all than any rodent could possibly be.
Chickens, goes the claim, are noisy. Really? In a city where every street is a tabernacle choir of yapping dogs, of ear-splitting mowers, of swaggering mufflers, of garages more industrialized than Hargrove Grade and enough construction zones to have turned Palm Coast into a permanent Big Dig, a couple of clucking chickens would be no more discernible than the fan popping bubble gum two sections over at a NASCAR race.
Of course the moment you mention having any kind of farm animal in your backyard, next thing you’ll hear is how about goats, how about pigs, how about camels and elephants, how about RINOs. Which reminds me of the homophobe trope that legalized gay marriage would lead to bestiality. It’s what Socrates, whose hemlocked last words were about a chicken, would call chicken-shit arguments.
Backyard chicken advocates aren’t without their own feathering of sanctimony. The churlish in me doesn’t buy into the self-sufficiency fad. No backyard is going to yield enough eggs and vegetables for a family to reduce its dependence on grocery stores. The stores are now varied enough and sell enough socially responsible products–to the extent that Ron DeSantis and Paul Renner haven’t banned them yet–to make backyard efforts more of an NPR affectation than a necessity.
But then, so is gardening. No one is banning that. Backyard barbecues are a shortcut to cancer. No one is banning those. Lawn-maintenance is the single-most useless, polluting, noisy, wasteful, disruptive, unproductive, oppressive suburban ritual in America. Unfortunately, no one is banning that.
Not to go Wendell Berry on you, but let’s also not downplay the small revival of self-reliance inherent in backyard gardens and animals. They may not make a material difference in one’s life, but they make a more important, spiritual difference that better fosters a sense of autonomy and communion with nature than shopping under Publix’s klieg lights and keeping an enameled lawn. They can teach more to a child than half a year in school, our lobotomized Florida schools especially. Not every innovation is a garage start-up. Sometimes the mold-breaking is a rewind to lost values.
Point being that it’s not my place to hold veto power over my neighbor’s differences. Cynical fabrications aside, a chicken coop next door isn’t going to affect my property values or my senses anymore than my neighbor’s hydrangeas.
But in Palm Coast, the homeowner association mentality rules the roost, ironically with groupthink restrictions inspired by provincial socialism. In a city that already regulates what color we can paint our homes, what vehicles we can park in our driveways, how tall we can let our grass grow and what flags and signs we can plant in our yards, we only pretend to revere property rights and “liberty for all.” We mutter those words of the Pledge with the drabness of suburban monotones just before voting to crush our neighbor’s liberties, because they don’t conform. We defeated backyard chickens because we’re a city of sheep.
Pierre Tristam is FlaglerLive’s editor. A version of this piece aired on WNZF.
Barbara says
We don’t do enough to protect the animals already permitted in Flagler county, especially dogs, and I am not confident that city of palm coast animal control would be able to monitor these chickens… so unless animal control expands and actually does more to monitor and protect the animals, it’s a big no for me…
Josh Fabean says
Thanks for your support of chickens and pointing out how obviously the city is being trying to claim it’s a nuisance.
DP says
Amen Pierre,
I couldn’t have said it any better. And let’s not forget how many homes or backyards, that could have rabbits, bee colonies and even a possibility of a pot belly pig. This program was doomed the minute Barbara Grossman got involved. Instead of reinventing the wheel, why not look to the southwest city of Deltona on backyard chickens.
Fernando Melendez says
Yeah! But No Thank You. To chickens in backyards.
Brian says
Nailed it sir. Thank you.
Joe says
What a AWESOME article!!!
Pogo says
@Elsewhere, and otherwise
“The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.”
— Eric Arthur Blair, better known by his pen name George Orwell, the last sentence in his book, Animal Farm
Ever wonder?
https://www.google.com/search?q=avian+anatomy
Wow says
Not sure what that has to do with chickens, but it’s meant to be an allegory. It’s not a literal statement.
Edith Campins says
Sorry but I have to disagree with you on this one. No chickens next to my home, have you ever smelled a chcken coop? No comercial vehicles and no bakeries either. A neighborhood is not a place for any of these. Residential areas are just that, not mini farms of comercial enterprises. It is bad enough with the proliferation of unregulated short term rentals. Zoning regulations exist for good reasons.
Josh Fabean says
The pilot only allowed for 4 chickens, the smell of the poop would be no worse than your neighbor having a dog, if even that bad. I don’t understand the need to control others people, why can people not park their work truck or bake in their house? Sure I don’t want a semi parked next to me but if my neighbor parked a work van or something similar I’m not sure of the issue. With the bakery, I don’t see how that effects neighbors at all. I made 100% of all the money for my household from inside one of the bedrooms in my house on a computer, why is that allowed and baking not? Is a garden, someone having a mini farm?
Denali says
Part of the problem is that way back when ITT started this strange little town, it was sold as a ‘retirement community’, without the gated drives. Initially there were no plans for schools, just look where they are, with nothing east of I-95. The streets were not intended for ‘rush hour and lunch hour’ traffic but rather the more leisurely use of retired folks. Industry was shunned as retired folks do not work in factories – they tend to opt for part time service jobs or consulting work. At least that is the story I got from a few of the “old” ‘old-timers’ and a former mayor back when I did the Citizens Academy Classes.
Trucks? Lordy, do not open that can again. They wanted to get rid of duallies, so they said no one-ton trucks. Then there was the ladder rack or shell that was six inches taller than the cab – those were excluded in the ordinance. To this day I do not think the truck issue was ever resolved.
As to the bakery thing if I recall correctly Landon had a huge problem with increased street traffic from direct sales. That and they, like chickens are a violation of the Zoning Ordinance. Your computer work is out of sight, out of mind which unless you are running a small repair business would be allowable. My computer guy and one-time life-saver, who has a small repair business ran afoul of the city because the neighbors complained about the increased traffic.
But PLEASE do not get started on what color you can paint your house. The city wrote up my neighbor for painting her house the exact same color as city hall. They ended up withdrawing the citation.
Squawk says
Residential areas are no place for fireworks either. I’d rather take a few squawking chickens next door, than someone setting off explosion after explosion, so intense it shakes my floor and doors.
Nick Krimm says
Agree 100%
Concerned Citizen says
No Public Safety vehicles either. The Sheriffs Office has ample parking for police vehicles. I also don’t need to see a cruiser from Daytona Beach or Saint Augustine up here. Wonderful use of tax payers money.
Fair regulation of all rules. An off duty cop car is as unsightly as an Arctic Breeze van is right?? Or the many Realtors I see parked in their driveways with magnets left on over night.
No marked vehicles means no marked vehicles. No exceptions period…
TR says
There will always be two side debating something. For me I’m on the side of NO chickens in a residential area. There are all these people that where are the last council meeting saying how they want to feed their families so they want chickens. I don’t think they realize the problem when they pilot program fails. Like most animals that is given to a child it becomes their pet and then the family says “we love” whatever animal they have because it is part of our family. The problem they will have is telling their child or children that we have to get rid of the chickens because the pilot program didn’t work the way we wanted it to. Do these parents even understand the trauma that it will bring to that kid (s)? It will teach their kids pain and suffering. It will also teach them that no matter how hard you work on taking care of something, it can be taken away at any time. These chickens will be like giving a 5 year old a puppy on Christmas, sure the kid will be happy in the beginning, but after a few months the novelty wears off and they don’t want to care for the dog anymore, and the parents have to walk the dog, clean up after the dog and feed the dog. They other thing is yes we have wild life within Palm Coast. Some of these wild life animals like the red tail hawk and the bobcats will get into ones backyard and there will be 4 dead chickens. That’s something else a young kid doesn’t need to see first thing in the morning when they are taken out to feed the chickens before school. You can teach the kids responsibility of caring for an animal if you don’t have them involved all the time.
You can go to Publix tomorrow and buy 18 fresh eggs for less then $4.00. One chicken produces one egg a day. Have any of these parents fighting for 4 chickens even know the cost of owning 4 chickens? You have to buy the four chickens, then a coup and feed. A coup big enough that hold four chickens I saw costs $500.00 if you can not build one yourself. The DAILY procedure to maintain these 4 chickens are clean the coup from their poop, feed them and in the summer heat here have misters spraying water on them. (raising the water bill which they will complain about next). Besides has anyone ever smelled chicken poop when it gets wet? Not pleasant at all.
If anyone wants chickens in their backyards in any residential areas of within the City of Palm Coast, they need to move to an unincorporated area of the county and have as many chickens as you want. But if this ever comes to a vote for the citizens it will be a hard NO for me. Glad the city council drop this plan. But like some have said, what’s next, pigs, goats, cows, etc?
Did u know says
I’m not sure if the rules are the same but when I moved here, a household was only allowed 3 pets- period. Supposed to stop pet hoarding. When it passes, if u had more than 3 then u had to choose & lose. I’m not sure how chickens would work into those numbers… would they be considered pets? If this is still on the (HOA) books, then I hope no one out there has more than 3 pets (not sure if fish are included). Welcome!!
Boo says
Perhaps they should apply that rule to children as well. More than 3, gotta pick and choose. Stop child hoarding.
Denali says
Actually, some folks should have to get a license to have kids. Myself included.
The Sour Kraut says
How many stories are going to be written about chickens? Palm Coast has more important issues that need addressing. The chicken debate is over. Let it go.
Ed says
Enjoyed the read, chuckled several times.
It even let me know that liberals can also be libertarians.
Jane Gentile-Youd says
We are all a go for alpacas never mind chickens.
They will save us lawn cut costs of our 9/10 acre property by eating our grass; they are friendly
https://modernfarmer.com/2015/09/alpaca-training/#:~:text=Litter%20Training,are%20pretty%20much%20litter%20trained.
And we might be able to train them to keep the golfers out of our back yard. Very practical pet really…
John Stove says
My Grandfather raised chickens and sold the eggs….I moved from a State that allowed back yard coops. The smell of chicken manure fermenting on a hot day is a nuisance, the sound of chickens being startled by a snake, armadillo, racoon, fox etc is a nuisance, having field mice and rats attracted to the coop is a nuisance.
Its not my job as a neighbor to lodge complaints with the city if the chicken owner doesn’t change the bedding often enough or keep the coop clean to reduce the smells….chicken coops don’t belong in an urban setting with homes so close together.
Dont force your desires to have chickens in YOUR backyard on those of us who DO NOT want chickens in backyards.
NO means NO…..pilot study or otherwise.
DcSullivan says
We finally have the answer. Why did the chicken cross the street? Answer:, Never ink Palm Coast.
JEK says
Great article!
Ray W. says
Darwinian Gardeners unite! Mr. Tristam, if I could speak for Mark Lane, he would rightfully be proud of your column.
Pogo says
@Ray W.
3 dots, and cheers, for Mr. Lane.
I can well imagine a big smile from a certain flamingo fan too…
https://www.chamblinbookmine.com/pages/books/74142/john-carter/the-jug-eared-kid
Vincent A. Liguori says
The city of Palm Coast prohibits livestock animals in residential zoning districts. All of Palm Coast is zoned residential. Pigs, chickens, goats and bees are considered livestock. Let’s move on and concentrate on city infrastructure needs, economic growth and jobs.
Concerned Citizen says
All of Palm Coast is not zoned residential.
One only needs to go down Florida Park Drive. And see all the Acupuncture and Massage places to understand that.
tulip says
Totally agree with you Mr Liguori!!☺
jeffery c. seib says
Palm Coast is not yet like Jacksonville, nor is it like the rural areas in Flagler County. We are a growing city, but more like a suburb and so our regulations have that fact at the forefront. No one wants a slopped-up appearance of our neighborhoods with boats of all sizes, gaudily painted commercial vehicles, RVs, and semi’s parked in the driveways and yards. It looks nice when yards are mowed and kept up. No way is any of that the same as having farm animals in our backyards. As an animal lover I really don’t see anything wrong with this proposal. I think it would be fun to see and could work. Even with roosters, who would mind a rooster crowing. In our modern well-insulated homes, with the AC and other low volume home items running no one would even hear it inside. I hope the city council isn’t punishing us for demanding they stay within a budget and cease to squeeze us for more money at every turn.
Old Rumrunner says
For once, the City Council got something right. My neighbors barking dogs are bad enough.
Palm Coast HOA says
I moved here 20 years ago. First thing I said when I got here (parents moved here and convinced me this was a great place) was it was a giant HOA. Permit for this. Permit for that. I asked them once if I needed a permit to crap. Instead of focusing on bringing in good paying jobs, and making this a great town for all ages, they give themselves raises. Moving here for us was a bad idea. We both had to work in Jacksonville because that’s where the good paying jobs were. We’d leave if we could but now the parents are 80 and we’re 40 so, it is what it is…when they go, we go.
Geri Kail says
Laughed out loud. I live in Flagler Beach so this doesn’t impact me, but I certainly enjoyed the colorful and accurate description of all the other obnoxious noises prevalent in suburban living. Thank you, sir!
Beachcat says
A fine story, Pierre. Those grumpy naysayers can’t see beyond their noses smelling dog poop from small and large specimens. Yes, mowing machines, edgers, blowers ring the air with noise and gases. Motorcycles, trucks and cars roaring down A1A drown out the sound of ocean movement, the bird calls and clucking of a few chickens. Chickens bond with owners. Chickens produce that one egg a day making for happiness at breakfast if you are patient and gather two eggs. The soft sound of clucking chickens brings a smile. No problem with odor if you are neater than a dog owner who neglects backyard piles. One need not eat the chicken. Merely enjoy the sound of clucking, the friendship and an egg a day.
Mary Fusco says
I have chuckled many times reading the article and the comments. I have nothing against chickens or any other animal. However, from what I have observed people in PC have a problem controlling their dogs and cats as well as their children since most of them seem to run amuck. We have a humane society at capacity with pets no one wants. Years ago my son in law and grandsons were bored so they went out and bought some chicks. Kids were excited named them, etc. He built an elaborate coop for them and when they were old enough put them out in the back yard. Unfortunately, by that time, the kids had lost interest. This is for those that think taking of any pets teach responsibility. Chickens had to be taken care of rain, shine, snow, etc. In the winter they needed a heat lamp because they were in upstate NY. While we don’t have long winters, we do have cold days and nights. I learned from my daughter that chickens are very expensive and a tremendous amount of work. Maybe those that want chickens should check and see if the humane society takes in unwanted ones because that is where they will be when the novelty wears off.
Brad W says
I think the Council did the right thing with this and I agree with Nick Klufas and Cathy Heighter. If they launch a “pilot” there is no way this City would be able to contain it to 25 houses or control it. I disagree that all would do this safely and responsibly. I know that because several months ago we came across a whole group of chickens wandering around yards in our neighborhood. There are risks of a salmonella outbreaks in neighborhoods, drawing rodents to nearby homes, etc. Our neighborhoods are not designed for backyard farms. There are other places to live that are more conducive to that lifestyle which those families should look into.
https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/backyardpoultry-06-22/index.html
Mrs. Kenny says
I grew up on a farm in central Florida and the amount of poop 4 confined chickens produce is astounding. Maggots get in the manure. I have put my hand in my chicken pen to check on my chicken to find a rat gnawing on it while it is still alive. My neighbors won’t even dig out their own swales. Hobby farmers should check out Putnam County.
Celia M pugliese says
I agree with council decision. Palm Coast is residential not agricultural. I was raised in a house with chickens, goats, dogs and horses and chickens take a lot of work to clean up and keep the coop sanitize otherwise the strong odor of excrement attracts flies, other insects and rats. Right now we even have a problem in the city with some dog owners not picking up after their dogs in “their own yards” or while walking them making an unpleasant smelly and unhealthy environment for all. I can image how code enforcement will do their work to enforce rules on backyard chickens while they are prohibited to get inside peoples lots to inspect complaints!
We come to live in Palm Coast because we like how it looks and feel and then we want to change the rules make exceptions or new rules and a mess of it? There is a lot of agricultural zoned properties not that far from city limits then those that want chickens and other live stock can purchase their homes there and for sure price will be less than the cost of their city homes. Think about it neighbors.
Ban the gop says
More republican bs forcing what they want on others. Who cares if someone wants to raise chickens and decrease their grocery bill, not like uncle Sam will help. Those chickens will have better lives than ones you buy at the grocery that live on a sheet of paper their whole life. Once the food shortages start you will wish you and your neighbors had some chickens.
Mr Treeman says
Defeating in the Backyard was the Common Since thing to do because Palm Coast is really a Giant HOA! If you want Farm animals, than MOVE to a Farm!C
Shark says
Code enforcement is a joke in this town. It only applies to the little guys and not the fat cats !!!
JAFO says
Hell no. That sob starts making noise when the sun comes up we’re having chicken for dinner!
Magat control says
So much for property freedom, they want to dictate what you can or can’t do with the property you own. Cant even raise a couple chickens. That’s “conservative “republicons for ya folks.
Seems like we’re getting more fascist by the day with these cons in charge.
Funny how republicons are the ones always for taking aways rights and banning anything they don’t like.
Deborah Coffey says
Your best writing ever, Pierre! Laughed and smiled all the way through. On the other hand, I could do without the backyard chickens….
TR says
I have a question. If I remember correctly it always takes a male and a female to have a child correct? Well in the animal world regardless of what animal we are talking about (in this case chickens) Doesn’t a chicken have to mate with a rooster in order to have an egg? So if this is true and the city will not allow roosters, how are these families that want to feed their families going to get their eggs to feed their families? Are they going to have to take their chickens to a clinic to get artificial inseminated? just wondering.
Josh Fabean says
No, chickens lay eggs almost daily without a rooster it is just not a fertilized egg. Thanks for showing your complete lack of understanding about chickens but being so against them.
oldtimer says
Begs the question, if you knew the rules about livestock, chickens and whatever when you moved here why should the law change because you don’t like it? Just wondering, sounds like something Trump would try to pull
Josh Fabean says
So are you saying citizens are never allowed to suggest rules change in the city they live in? With that logic, no laws would ever get passed due to citizen request. I guess we should completely do away with public comment in meetings and voting if citizens aren’t allowed to want changes in their city.
Why would a city have a law outlawing chickens, when every city council member has admitted there is no legal way to stop people from having them? Code enforcement is not allowed to look in your backyard, so as long as they cannot see them from the road, they cannot stop you. To me, it seems like you should legalize it, which forced the government to be able to look into your backyard and make sure your chicken coop is at least compliant.