Town Council Bylaw Sub-Committee advances chicken-keeping bylaw with amendment
North Attleborough Bylaw Sub-Committee moves backyard chicken permit forward. Chair Dan Donovan's five-member panel amended Measure 2026-042 to limit zoning updates to chickens only, avoiding unintended permission for other livestock, and tasked Members Laura Wagner and John Donohue with drafting a
Town Council FY26 · Meeting of January 21, 2026
North Attleborough Bylaw Sub-Committee moves backyard chicken permit forward. Chair Dan Donovan's five-member panel amended Measure 2026-042 to limit zoning updates to chickens only, avoiding unintended permission for other livestock, and tasked Members Laura Wagner and John Donohue with drafting a revised proposal for February 4. Animal Control Officer Stephanie Mitchell disclosed roughly 60 unlicensed coops exist beyond the 43 special-permit sites currently on record; the revised bylaw would replace R10's blanket prohibition with mandatory licensing, initial inspection, and annual state-level livestock counts to enable enforcement and public-health coordination.
The Sub-Committee also deferred two additional zoning measures to February 4: a Multi-Use Overlay District proposal to enable mixed-use development on designated parcels, and a prohibition on new auto dealerships in residential and commercial zones.
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Source: the Town Council FY26 meeting of January 21, 2026, compiled from the official minutes.
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