CASSELBERRY, Fla. – A debate over backyard chickens in Casselberry is now headed to City Hall.
Earlier this month, News 6 introduced viewers to Casselberry homeowner Lindsay Feist, who said a code compliance complaint left her with just 10 days to get rid of the hens she had raised for years.
Feist said she believed she was following the rules when she started keeping the chickens and later learned they were not allowed under city regulations.
Instead of getting rid of them, she launched a petition and began pushing for a change.
“I’ve been very encouraged,” Feist said. “The city reached out, staff, and let me know that they had completed their research and gotten on the agenda for Monday.”
According to an email from Community Development Director Christopher Schmidt, city staff plans to present its research and findings regarding backyard chickens during Monday night’s City Commission meeting. The issue also appears on the agenda as a discussion item.
Feist said support for her petition has grown to more than 750 signatures.
“Our neighbors are very supportive,” she said.
She said many of the concerns she has heard involve roosters, which she noted are not what supporters are asking the city to allow.
“It’s about sustainability. It’s about education for your children. It’s about just a lifestyle that can be incorporated within city limits,” Feist said.
Feist said she never expected to become the face of the issue.
“This was not a role that I saw myself taking on at all,” she said.
She said she hopes commissioners will look to neighboring communities where backyard hens are already allowed.
“We’re hoping that the city will look at Maitland and Altamonte and Longwood and unincorporated areas and say this has been done, it’s reasonable and it can be done responsibly and find a path forward for residents,” she said.
Feist plans to attend Monday night’s meeting and speak during public comment.
“I think that the meeting tomorrow will determine whether this goes forward or ends here,” she said.
For now, Feist said city staff has agreed to hold off on enforcing the ban while the issue is under discussion.
Whether commissioners ultimately decide to change the rules — or whether the hens eventually have to go — remains to be seen.