The purpose of this petition is to communicate to the Stuart West Board of Directors that at least 125 property owners are in favor of allowing residents to own chickens. This is not an open call to allow all chickens without any rules; this petition would be accompanied by some proposed guidelines for allowing the ownership of chickens while still maintaining an upscale community and respecting all residents.

Some suggested guidelines are:

1) only hens (female chickens) would be permitted, no roosters (male chickens)

2) a maximum of 5 hens allowed per property owner

3) all chickens to be kept in a cage, coop, pen or other structure to prevent them from leaving the property

4) all structures or enclosures, either mobile or permanent, must meet the current building setbacks and be approved by the BOD via an ARC form

There are a lot of varied reasons why some residents would like to be allowed to own chickens. Many residents have children and would appreciate the opportunity to teach their children about responsibility by caring for some chickens, all while encouraging them to be outside. Also many residents would enjoy the availability of fresh eggs, this is especially relevant given the current global pandemic and the uncertainties we have faced recently. The idea of caring for chickens is not only healthy and mentally stimulating for children, recently there has been a trend circulating for assisted living facilities and nursing homes to allow their residents to participate in the care and maintenance of chicken coops.

So please help a neighbor out and throw your support behind Stuart West Property Owners Association allowing the restricted ownership of chickens. Who knows...these could be the same neighbors who will share with you some fresh eggs the next time the grocery store doesn't have any on the shelf!

Your support can only be counted if you are a resident of Stuart West. Once you sign the petition please write your Stuart West address so we can verify your eligibility. Thank you for supporting your neighbors and feel free to pass it along to them!