Residents Debate Chicken Coop Permit at Adams ZBA

Several neighbors of the applicants attended the meeting, voicing concerns over rodents, waste and other issues.

ADAMS, Mass. — A local man's request to have chickens at his Second Street home is ruffling his neighbor's feathers. 

Nearly a dozen people attended Tuesday's Zoning Board of Appeals meeting to debate a special permit for a chicken coop, causing the board to table the issue until its next meeting.

The applicants, Zachary Poplaski and Ingrid Olsen of 19 Second St., began raising chickens in a coop on their property several months ago.

When the two put up the coop, they did not know that a special permit was necessary after reading the Adams bylaws.

"We've always been passionate about agriculture and farming. We bought this house with intentions of using our new land, which is small, but capable, to grow our own food and to provide for our family," Olsen said. "We'd like to make it very clear that we were just trying to do that and that only in getting the chickens. We meant no harm to the town of Adams or our neighbors."

After nearly an hour of public comment, the board voted to continue the issue until the next meeting. Board member Nathaniel Karns suggested holding the public hearing open until the board can get more information on the property and specific neighbor concerns.

"I am concerned that we do not have a plot plan that shows the dimensions of the property, the location of the various buildings," he said, noting that the property does not meet the 5-acre property size requirements for Right to Farm. "I find that difficult for us to deal with."

Two residents, John and Laura Belleau, provided the board with an aerial view of the chicken coop in relation to their property line. John Belleau said he was worried about how the coop would affect their property value.

Laura Belleau said she is not angry or against chickens but is worried about rodents and had questions about the composting process.

"We're very close together," she said. "I have some public health and safety concerns. What does the town of Adams have in place for rodent control?"

Resident John Lawson said he spoke with a chicken expert, whom he did not wish to name publicly, and had concerns about potential safety issues and the lack of advanced notice of the coop.

"I was concerned because I woke up one morning, three months ago, and there's a chicken coop five feet from my fence," he said.

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