| Should pet chickens be forced to move from Troy home? TROY — Owners of pet chickens living in a residential area near downtown were told by the city this week to remove them by July 15, or possibly face legal action. Robert and Heather Dorsten of Race Street went to Miami County Common Pleas Court last year after the city Board of Zoning Appeals denied their request for a variance that would have allowed them to keep chickens Lucy and Dottie as pets. Judge Jeffrey Welbaum ruled April 15 that the city acted within its power to ban chickens from a residential area. The Dorstens chose not to appeal his ruling and said by e-mail Thursday, July 2, they have been working to “rehome” Lucy and Dottie plus a third chicken, Priscilla, they had placed in a new home last year but recently returned. The couple also is considering asking city residents, in a ballot initiative, to decide whether pet chickens should be allowed in town. The city’s letter dated Tuesday, June 30, was sparked by a anonymous complaint. . . . |