In September 2021, the Plano City Council passed an ordinance allowing homeowners to keep chicken hens in their backyards. 

 

Many were eggscited about it.  (sorry, couldn't resist...)

 

So what does that ordinance mean for our neighborhood?   And what do you need to know before getting started?

 

Well, there is more to the story and hopefully this page will fill in the details.

 

What's the current rule for our neighborhood?

 

First, Parkway Estates residents are still not permitted to raise chicken hens within Parkway Estates even with the ordinance changes by the Plano city council.

 

Why is that?  Deed Restrictions.

 

Why are Deed Restrictions an issue?

 

The city ordinance does not override each subdivision's Deed restrictions, which property owners signed when they purchased their home.  Parkway Estates has Deed restrictions which explicitly state that residents cannot keep certain animals, including chickens, in backyards.   The Parkway Estates deed restrictions can be viewed here.  Article #8 is the one that applies.

 

Can the Deed Restrictions be changed?

 

Deed restrictions can only be changed when 75% of all homeowners vote to approve a change to the deed restrictions.  This provides a significant hurdle before chickens can be kept in our subdivision.

 

What about the PEHOA?  Can they vote to change this? 

 

Deed restrictions apply to any resident or owner of property in Parkway Estates whether they are members of the PEHOA or not. So, this is not an issue that is controlled by the Parkway Estates Homeowners Association or its officers.

 

What do Parkway Estates residents think about this?

 

We did do some scratching to find out more by sending out an email to all registered residents of the HOA.  Over 80% of the respondents did not want to allow chicken hens.  Many of them had previous experience living with chickens.  And the comments were passionate and colorful...

 

Please note:  There was no campaign or attempt to influence how someone voted.  It was merely a an informal survey of current opinions.  The PEHOA has no formal opinion on this matter.

 

So where does this leave us in Parkway Estates?

 

At this point there doesn't seem to be the support to change the Parkway Estates Deed restrictions to allow chicken hens in backyards.  But that might change in the future if 75% of homeowners vote to make that change.

 

Where can I view the full Plano City Ordinance?

 

To learn more, the Plano city ordinance can be viewed here. 

 To find the section about Deed Restrictions see Section 4-185. In sub-paragraph J.)

 

So, if I lived in another neighborhood, how would I go about raising chickens?

 

Well there are some rules to make sure it is done right.

  • No roosters are allowed.  Only hens.
  • There is a permit fee required along with an application providing drawings and plans.
  • The application must be approved by the Animal Services Department.
  • To get approved, an applicant must show proof of adequate chicken housing, have written authorization from the property owner, complete an educational course on backyard hen care and possibly comply with a home inspection.
  • A maximum of 10 animals can be kept at a home including chickens, dogs, birds, cats, etc.
  • Chickens must be located behind a fence at least 6 feet high and meet distance requirements from neighboring buildings (20 feet for enclosures of up to five animals, 50 feet for enclosures of up to 10).
  • There must be at least 4 square feet of space for each hen.
  • There must an attached exercise yard with at least 8 square feet of space per hen.
  • Owners must protect the hens from inclement weather, insect bites and attacks by other animals.
  • The chickens must have at least 10 inches of roosting space for each hen and one nesting box for every four hens.
  • Yes, eggs can be sold if they abide by federal, state and local regulations.

 

What about other cities and their chicken rules?

 

We don't know about their Deed restrictions but Sachse and Fairview have generous limits or no limits at all on the number of chickens a resident can raise. Coppell forbids all chickens. Addison allows three birds per property and Garland four. In Dallas, there’s no maximum.