MANCHESTER, NH – Homeowners on South Beech Street did not receive a variance to house up to six chickens on their property from the Manchester Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA) earlier this month.
The case, ZBA 2025-146, was put on the table in November after members of the board sought more information before making a decision, in particular getting an opportunity to enter the property and see firsthand the details of what was being requested.
Applicant Sean Bayram-Palmer sought to house six hens in a coop near the back of the property at 1117 South Beech St., located about halfway between Gold Street and the terminus of South Beech Street on Brown Avenue. He told the board he sought to keep the hens for the therapeutic value they have for his family, with occasional eggs as a side benefit. Ricky and Melissa Simpkiss were also listed on the application for the variance and it was indicated that they also lived on the property, but their relation to Bayram-Palmer was not mentioned during ZBA deliberations on the request.
According to Chapter 8.30 of the current Manchester Zoning Ordinance, residents are allowed up to six hens in certain residentially zoned areas of the city on lots more than half an acre containing specialized housing and fenced areas for the chickens. Bayram-Palmer sought to house six hens, one more than the limit, along with several ducks.
During the November hearing, abutter Rosanne Boudreau complained that roosters on the property, which are not allowed under the zoning ordinance, had been kept on the property. Additionally, she claimed that the coop which was already on the property had a bad smell coming from the chickens and that it was too close to a wetland near the property.
Another South Beech Street resident, Samantha Ray, said in November that Palmer and the residents of 1117 Beech Street were good neighbors and took good care of their chickens.
Bayram-Palmer replied to Boudreau’s concerns that the roosters had been removed from the property and city inspectors had found no violations related to chickens impacting the nearby wetlands.
It was also discovered that there were ducks on the property as well. Like roosters, ducks are also not permitted by right within the ordinance and ZBA Chair Bob Breault felt that ducks are only appropriate for a dedicated agricultural area given his prior experience with variance requests for ducks, adding that it would be inappropriate in this situation.
Following the meeting, ZBA Vice Chair Craig St. Pierre visited the property and found that while it was approximately 16 percent smaller than the half acre requirement, it is a unique lot in front of large wooded area that serves as a buffer to any potential impact on the neighbors. St. Pierre also said that the coop was discrete and not visible from the street.
ZBA Member Kathryn Beleski also visited the property, saying that the chickens created a lot of noise and were very close to Boudreau’s property.
Bayram-Palmer said he would be happy to modify the setup for the chickens in order to address his neighbor’s concerns, stating that he was unaware anything needed to be done until August 2025, about a year and a half after he brought the animals to the home.
Several members of the board still had doubts regarding Bayram-Palmer’s request. Breault feared that a downward slope in the area could cause runoff from the birds’ waste to mix with stormwater or melting snow and impact nearby properties.
ZBA Member Matthew Carnivale Jr. noted Boudreau’s complaints and the fact that Bayram-Palmer had been non-compliant for a significant period of time.
Carnvale Jr. made a motion to deny the variance request, citing that the property was only 70 feet wide and that the chickens and ducks create objectionable odors and noise that would reduce property values.
Carnvale Jr. was joined by Beleski and Breault in supporting the motion, with St. Pierre and Greg Powers opposing the motion.