CRESTVIEW — Okaloosa County legalized ownership of backyard hens in 2015, but regulations have made it difficult for some residents to keep chickens on their property.
Jessica King is one of those residents.
King moved outside Crestview city limits several months ago believing she would be able to raise chickens. Her property is 0.3 acres, which means she would need a county exception to possess hens. However, an exception is difficult to obtain, according to King.
“I do a lot of gardening and it’s easier to be self-sustained,” King said. “Chickens would be on our property but the rules prevent us from doing so.”
Areas zoned as R-1, less dense areas with single-family dwellings, require at least half an acre to possess up to four hens or ducks, according to Okaloosa County GIS Analyst Planner Mike Ruzowski. Smaller lots or additional animals require the exception described by King, who lives on an R-1 lot.
Permission to own four hens meant King would have to pay a $1,200 fee, complete an application, build a coop or enclosure, receive written approval from her neighbors and pass a code inspection before having the exception considered. She could still be denied by the county after completing this work.
“I’ve done the math and the cost to get your home up to county standards means it would take about four years for the investment to pay off,” Ruzowski said. “And that’s if you’re spending $4 for a dozen [eggs]; somebody like me buying regular eggs, it might take close to 10 years.”
Okaloosa County should adopt ordinances similar to Escambia County, according to King. Escambia County allows residents with under a quarter acre in R-1 zones to own up to eight chickens. Roosters, which are banned altogether in Okaloosa County, are permitted in Escambia if the resident meets certain requirements.
Okaloosa’s ordinance discourages ownership for people with less than a half-acre and those seeking more than four chickens, according to King.
A now retired member of the Okaloosa County Growth Management Department didn’t want an ordinance allowing backyard chickens, according to Ruzowski, who said the county disagreed and welcomed their possession. Therefore, the ordinance was shaped in a manner that would appease the county board of commissioners but limit the department’s efforts regarding the matter, Ruzowski said.
“We’ve never really had any pushback from it until Jessica [King] said something,” Ruzowski said. “She was the first one to ask questions about it.”
Okaloosa County Growth Management Administration Director Elliot Kampert could offer further information on the ordinance, Ruzowski said. Multiple calls to Kampert were unanswered and his voicemail was full.
King created an online petition to address her desire to reduce restrictions on backyard chickens in the county. If the petition “gains traction” she will use it to present her case to the county’s growth management department, King said.
Ultimately, King wants Okaloosa County to mirror the ordinances in Escambia County, although she doesn’t advocate for allowing roosters.
Visit www.change.org/p/growth-management-backyard-chickens-for-crestview-fl-reduce-restrictions to learn more about King’s petition to the county.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Resident questions county chicken code