East Peoria is one step closer to opening the door to chicken keeping within city limits.
The city's Zoning Board of Appeals voted unanimously Monday to approve a recommendation to roll out a limited one-year pilot project. That trial run would create up to ten chicken-keeping special use permits.
City planning and development director Ty Livingston says those permits would only be issued for conservation-zoned properties.
"There's about 150 properties that are zoned conservation zoning in the city. Of those, about 100 are privately held. And those would be the properties that at least be eligible to start with this pilot project," he said.
Livingston said those properties are typically one acre or larger in size and on the periphery of the city, not in the middle of a neighborhood. Special use permits are approved on a case-by-case basis.
Those approved could keep up to five hens on their properties. Roosters are prohibited. Chickens must be kept in a clean, enclosed area under the proposed ordinance.
The proposal now goes to the East Peoria City Council for a final decision.
