I am so disappointed. Chickens (properly maintained) would have less of an impact on neighbors than dogs. And chickens provide more than just the comfort of a pet.

"Slippery slope" is the worst excuse ever, and one that's made by cowards.

Can you even imagine the looks on our Founding Fathers' faces if they knew that in the United States of America a boy would be banned from having backyard chickens because it might lead to goats? And that might lead to...what?

Why don't we just make a rule that parents can't have children, because that might lead to kids who want to keep chickens? Slippery slope totally flattened.

"No, kid, you can't have a couple of chickens. Better to buy eggs and support battery farming. Let's keep hens in wire cages the size of a filing drawer with 8-10 birds per cage, in a shed with thousands of other cages, and cut their beaks off so they don't peck each other, as God intended."

Chickens aren't allowed, but pot bellied pigs are?! It amazes me how at the beginning of this issue, all but one alderman supported passage. The lone opposing alderman happened to be on the zoning board, and then all of a sudden the zoning commission votes it down. The only alderman who stuck to his guns and remained in favor of urban chickens was Gus Elliott.

St. Peters used to be a farming community. I guess the powers that be have forgotten that fact, and are so worried a few backyard chickens might lower our ratings in the "Best Places To Live". I'm sorry, but when cities just keep restricting what law abiding home owners can do on their own private property, it's not a best place to live.

I am totally opposed to having chickens considering the kid who wanted to do it is a couple houses down from me. I want to know how a 12 year old can cause this much of a stir when he can't vote, does not pay property tax, etc. . Well I do and my opinion is NO farm animals period. If you want to raise them, buy a farm. Subdivisions are no place to do such.

Mr. Bell, I can understand not wanting to live next door to a hoglot, but I don't understand your opposition to a few chickens. They are quiet, kill insects, earn their keep in eggs, and are not dangerous nor smelly. A hen has never mauled a child to death, stalked songbirds, and doesn't wake neighbors in the night.

Can you explain your opposition? I am really trying to understand why people are against this.

I grew up for 27 years in an area that where chickens were raised foe both personal and commercial reasons and the smell is horrible. I just recently purchased the house I am in and it came down to two houses I liked but one had a chicken coop so I decided against it and moved into tanglewood after researching their bypass and farm animals are not allowed. I just don't think a subdivision is the place to do such practice. Not to mention the chance of dropping neighbors property values. I am sorry the kid cannot do his little project and I am having a hard time trying to understand how a 12 year old can even propose this and cost our taxpayers money to even discuss this issue when he himself is not a taxpayer or has a vote that can be counted. I spoke with alderman Elliott on Tuesday and voiced my opinion on the matter and he seemed a little upset that the tanglewood subdivision had sent out a notice that this was going on . As a homeowner, I appreciate the notice that such was going on and info on where and how to voice my opinion on said matter.

Too bad, really. It would be nice to have a couple of local chickens. It's also worth pointing out that, while the young man doesn't vote (yet!) or pay taxes (yet!), his parents do.

Seems like a nice young man, but frankly, I don't want to live next door to a henhouse.

Maybe, when considering whether or not to pass the bill allowing chickens, the bill could have worded to allow chickens, but in accordance to a subdivisions by-laws. There are some older subdivisions that aren't pristine, postage-stamp, look alike neighborhoods that I could see backyard chickens easily "fitting in", while I can see the expensive, ostentatious neighborhoods not wanting anything to do with lowly chickens. Obviously, I was totally for allowing chickens. The benefits far outweigh the negatives. "Up to four hens" is not going to result in a stinky, loud mess. I love dogs, but as I stated in a previous comment, a couple of chickens penned in a backyard has far less impact on neighbors, or the general public, than a single dog, whether in a backyard or being walked on a leash. Dogs bark, irritating those within hearing distance, which can be quite a long way, inconsiderate owners don't pick up after their dogs, leaving behind piles of nasty you-know-what for people to step in. At one time I had a neighbor that had a large dog in his backyard, which connected to my side/backyard. This neighbor seldom picked up after his dog and in the summertime, when we were wanting to sit on our back patio to relax and enjoy the outdoors, we had to instead, sit and put up with the smell emanating from the neighbors yard. Let me tell you, it doesn't take too many times for a large dog going in his backyard in the summertime for it to really start to smell bad.

I thought subdivision rules always do stand up in addition to local ordinances . . .

This is a highly dissappointing outcome :(