Council denies request to keep backyard hens at Palatine home; staff to help transition

The Village of Palatine Council denied a request to allow an accessory use for hens at 503 South Williams Avenue after committee and council votes recorded majority opposition.

At committee, staff explained the property is narrower and slightly under the village's guidance for such accessory uses, noting the 2012 code change that allows requests but stressing prior approvals were on much larger lots. Petitioner Doris (identified in the record) defended her animals and care: "They're well cared for." Supporters from the block spoke to educational value and good husbandry. Neighbors raised concerns about proximity — one neighbor said the coop is about "6.5 feet" from a bedroom window — and reported an increase in flies and worry about property values. Council members said the code and the neighbors' lines of sight mattered in their deliberations. Staff told the petitioner they would work with her on "a reasonable time frame in which to transition out of that." (Transcript discussion; staff comment.)

The petition failed in the committee and then failed again in council on roll call. The record shows extensive public testimony on both sides: supporters described close care and neighborhood goodwill, while immediate neighbors cited potential smell, flies, and visual impacts. Councilmembers emphasized that the village's ordinances and neighboring residents' concerns were central to the decision and asked staff to coordinate a humane, time-limited transition plan if required.