Town would OK an octet Hen hearing Jan. 13
By Arlene Gross	write the author
December 18, 2008 | 11:45 AM Thanks to a guy with a few feathered friends of his own, Huntington residents may soon be able to keep chickens and coops in their own backyards. Tim Jurik, of Huntington Station, pled his case before the Town Board Nov. 5, asking that Huntington township become more progressive, like New York City, and amend the code so he might keep his five egg-laying hens. In quick response to Jurik's plea, the Town Board passed a resolution last Tuesday to hold a Jan. 13 public hearing on legislation that would, if passed, permit residents to own up to eight chickens. Town code prohibits keeping or raising cattle, mink or chickens as pets in accessory buildings. Stating that chickens can provide organic pest control that may be beneficial to homeowners, the resolution states "chickens provide fresh, healthy, organic eggs for consumption by a family which may preclude the use of pesticides or fertilizers in the production of such eggs." The new legislation would stipulate that hen owners (no roosters allowed) acquire permits for their accessory structures. Jurik said he wanted to raise egg-laying hens to provide organic nourishment for his 18-month-old son James, whose dairy allergies limit the kinds of proteins he can ingest. Before setting up his chicken house, the concerned dad read the town code, but was confused by its cryptic language and mistakenly thought it would be lawful to keep the birds. Apparently, one of his neighbors was ruffled by the backyard henhouse and even surreptitiously took pictures of the offending roost, which were sent along with the complaint. Two days after the most recent board meeting, Jurik thanked the board for its draft legislation: "They really took an active stance on it. It's really good to see that. There are a couple of things in the proposal that I wouldn't have put in there but they are doing their best and it looks like they did their homework on it." Among the items he questioned: mandating that chicken coops be cleaned every day. Jurik said that would not be easily enforceable. There's also a clause in the resolution prohibiting the chicken house from being visible from any other yard. "I think that effectively makes it impossible if to have chickens if you have a lot that is pretty exposed. I'm not sure I would have added that," he said. But town attorney John Leo said it is not impossible. "All he has to do is go out and buy some shrubs and bushes to block it from view — or a fence. I don't see why that's that onerous. Our view is ... we want to protect the people who are on each side of you." Jurik said he understands the board's intent. "We certainly don't want to be a burden on our neighbors." He was overall pleased with the town's avian advocacy. "It was really nice to see that they are going out of their way to make this happen," he said. "And it was really nice of them to send me a follow-up because I wasn't there."