By Brian Torpie
The recent Village of Warwick board meeting saw a productive discussion regarding the longstanding ban on backyard chickens within the village limits. Trustee Carly Foster initially brought this topic forward, advocating for a reconsideration of the ban, and Monday night’s meeting marked significant progress.
During the meeting, trustees shared their perspectives and concerns:
- Trustee Carly Foster strongly supports lifting the ban, emphasizing sustainability, food security, and the benefits of minimal regulation. She presented a thoughtfully draed ordinance outlining clear rules for residents wishing to keep chickens, addressing common concerns such as noise, odor, and predator management. Trustee Foster stated, “Resilience can come in many different forms, and one of them is empowering people to have more control over their food supply.”
- Trustee Tom McKnight expressed opposition, highlighting village density and the small lot sizes. He argued that because only 7% of village properties are at least one acre, the effort to change the ordinance would not benefit most residents. McKnight stated, “To me, that says it’s quite dense… I just think with the density of [the village], in my opinion, I don’t think it makes a lot of sense.”
- Deputy Mayor Barry Cheney was cautious but open, requesting further details on potential regulations regarding setbacks, coop design, noise control, and managing odors and predators. He encouraged careful consideration to ensure minimal impact on neighbors, noting, “We have to look at the key thing being minimizing the impact on the neighbors.”
- Trustee Mary Collura voiced concerns primarily regarding enforcement challenges and the potential for neighbor disputes. She indicated hesitation, leaning toward maintaining the current restrictions. Collura mentioned concerns about administrative burdens, stating, “Our building department and our code enforcer, this is a lot to put on them.”
- Mayor Michael Newhard suggested forming a small task force to thoroughly investigate the issue, including obtaining input from Cornell Cooperative Extension experts. He appeared cautiously optimistic but emphasized the importance of addressing community concerns clearly, suggesting, “What about if we created a small task force and had that task force look at this local law…and then maybe we can invite Mary Ulrich down from Cornell to speak to the board as well.”
After hearing Trustee McKnight’s concerns a second time from the live stream, I was
particularly interested in his suggestion that a full acre was necessary for backyard chickens—a standard that would disqualify 93% of village properties. So, I did some research into other similar villages in New York and found out that this requirement is uncommon. In fact, most villages allowing backyard hens do not have such a large minimum lot requirement. In fact, it seems the standard is not to have a lot size requirement at all!. Instead, they enforce sensible regulations such as reasonable coop setbacks, limited flock sizes, and a straightforward permitting process, like Trustee Cheney suggested. This approach effectively accommodates typical residential properties while still respecting neighbors’ comfort and village aesthetics.
As the issue gains momentum, the conversation around backyard chickens appears to be shifting. Trustee Foster noted the proposal has real community backing—not just from village residents—citing a petition with over 113 signatures. She also pointed out that the Town of Warwick currently permits up to 10 fowl per household, offering a successful, local model for regulation. Cornell Cooperative Extension experts are expected to assist the proposed task force in crafting guidelines on coop setbacks, odor control, and flock size—common measures in other New York villages that have adopted similar ordinances.
The board meeting concluded with a decision to move forward cautiously by creating a task force to delve deeper into these points, ensuring the final ordinance, if adopted, addresses all concerns effectively.
Residents interested in supporting or learning more about this initiative can reach out directly to village trustees and the mayor:
- Mayor Michael Newhard: mayor@villageofwarwick.org
- Trustee Carly Foster: foster@villageofwarwick.org
- Trustee Tom McKnight: tmcknight@villageofwarwick.org
- Trustee Mary Collura: collura@villageofwarwick.org
- Deputy Mayor Barry Cheney: cheney@villageofwarwick.org
- Village Clerk Raina Abramson: clerk@villageofwarwick.org
