The Redmond Planning Commission voted Wednesday to approve a report that recommends to City Council to allow backyard chickens on smaller residential lots in the city limits using a zone-based system.

The report, which was approved with a 4-1 vote, recommends to make changes to the city’s comprehensive plan regarding small-animal husbandry, which includes chickens. The report recommends to allow only female chickens — not roosters — on lots smaller than a half acre. According to the current law, chickens — and roosters — are only permitted on lots larger than a half acre. If Council passes the comprehensive plan amendments, which include small-animal husbandry, next month, up to eight chickens would be allowed on smaller lots in the city.

City Council will discuss the issue at its Nov. 7 study session and plans to take action on the comprehensive plan amendments at its Dec. 6 business meeting, according to Council president Richard Cole.

The planning commission’s report recommends using a zone-based system to determine how many chickens are allowed on each lot.

“One chicken would be allowed for every 1,000 square feet of the underlying average minimum lot size of each respective single-family zone,” according to the report. “No more than eight chickens would be allowed per lot at any time.”

In addition, the report recommends that chicken shelters and runs have some sort of roof structure, such as netting or chicken wire, for protection from weather and predators, said Redmond senior planner Kim Dietz. The report also points out that the chicken coops and runs should be at least 15 feet away from any property line. Food would have to stored in a locked, closed container to keep away possible rodents, the report said.

In the case that resident owns chickens for a meat source, the planning commission recommended in its report that “slaughter would be permitted at no greater than one chicken within a 24-hour period.”

As far as the approval process, the planning commission recommended mandatory on-site inspections prior to approval. City staff agreed that some sort of review and approval process was necessary, but suggested a no-cost registration and review process that could be done over the phone or through e-mail, Dietz said.

The planning commission held a public hearing on the issue at its Oct. 12 meeting, where six people gave verbal comments, according to the report. There were four submitted written comments, according to the report. Most of the comments — both verbal and written — were in favor of the allowing chicken on smaller city lots.