NORWICH – In spite of local interest to allow more city residents to keep chickens on their property, members of the Norwich Common Council have decided not to pursue changes in city ordinances that currently prohibit many homeowners from owning fowl.

Members of the Council discussed the issue a meeting of the Joint Committees on Tuesday after information on the city’s current ordinances were presented by Codes Enforcement Officer Jason Lawrence.

According Lawrence, the city ordinance presently allows chickens within city limits, but only on property of five or more acres.

The request for changes in the local law was first made to the Council last year but revived last month by a city resident who said the city was well positioned to allow residents, including those with smaller parcels, to keep chickens because the city’s rooted in an agricultural region.