Prospect Heights’ final consideration of chicken regulations delayed

The Prospect Heights City Council’s consideration of regulations to keep chickens in the village has been pushed to next month.

Last month, the planning and zoning board made recommendations after a summerlong effort to find a compromise between residents looking for more regulations and those who opposed them.

The zoning board agreed on a $90 fee for an initial permit and a $40 annual renewal fee.

Though unrestricted since 1976, the lack of rules only arose recently after complaints about noise and odors.

Officials said about 80 of the city’s roughly 4,000 homes have or ever have had chicken coops.

The proposed regulations would also limit residents to 20 birds and prohibit roosters. However, ducks and quail were added to the species that could make up that number.