MUKILTEO — For Alan Shank, keeping chickens would be a breeze after years of keeping horses on his 1.5-acre property in Old Town Mukilteo.

If only the city would allow it.

The Mukilteo City Council is considering an amendment to the animal code that would allow people to keep chickens, reversing a ban on livestock in urban areas.

If the change is approved, Mukilteo will follow other local burgs in what’s become a national trend.

Backyard chickens are a low-maintenance source of fresh, local food and fertilizer for the garden, Shank said.

“Boy, if you’ve ever had a fresh egg. It makes such a difference,” he said. “I’m looking forward to getting my own little chicken house.”

Shank works for the Snohomish Conservation District. The agency uses county, state and federal funds to provide technical help so landowners can protect the environment.

For most of the city’s history, people have been able to keep farm animals.

The city’s first animal control ordinance in 1948 mainly addressed animals running at large. Then in 1984, as the city became more suburban, new zoning rules required fowl and livestock to be fenced in and restrained. There were no limits on the number of animals allowed.

In 2004, the city banned poultry. Also prohibited were reptiles, bees and livestock, though there was an exception for horses. At the time, city officials deemed the restrictions necessary for public health and safety.

“The bottom line is that in denser development, (many) neighbors don’t like to have livestock next door,” said Glen Pickus, senior city planner for Mukilteo.

One of the big downsides to keeping poultry and larger farm animals is that feed left on the ground can attract rats and other vermin, Mukilteo planning director Heather McCartney said.

Some people worry that if chickens are allowed, officials won’t be able to enforce the ordinance and keep owners in check. Property values may take a hit, Mukilteo resident Tom Fedele wrote to city officials. He also brought up the issue of noise and smell.

The idea to relax the city’s chicken rules arose during a City Council subcommittee on sustainability. Some City Council members wanted to encourage locally grown eggs.

The new rules, if passed, would allow up to four chickens per lot. That number could change depending on public feedback, Pickus said. Roosters wouldn’t be allowed because of the noise. The rules also would require having a minimum of two chickens, which are social animals and healthiest when not kept alone.

Anybody who wants to keep chickens first would have to consult with the Snohomish Conservation District, then apply to Mukilteo for a one-time coop license.

The amount of work it takes to raise chickens might scare off some people.

“I don’t think we’re going to see a big rush of chickens, assuming this passes,” Pickus said. “It’s not a simple thing.”

Cathy Walker, who lives in the Harbour Pointe neighborhood, kept chickens for about 10 years. When the ban passed in 2004, the city told her she was grandfathered in as long as she kept under three birds. She is down to one at the moment.

She will have to comply with the new rules if they pass, Pickus said.

City officials are discussing several other changes to the animal code. One would allow goats and sheep, temporarily, so they can be used to eat unwanted vegetation on public land.

Another possible change is not letting people feed animals in city parks or on other public property.

There’s also an effort to streamline rules for excessive noise that come into play for barking-dog complaints. Current code requires extensive documentation that makes the law nearly impossible to enforce.

Katya Yefimova: 425-339-3452, kyefimova@heraldnet.com.

Chicken hearing

A public hearing about allowing people to keep chickens in Mukilteo is scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday at Mukilteo City Hall, 11930 Cyrus Way.