Clymer officials may be walking a tightrope as they consider a zoning update to deal with, among other things, commercial chicken barns.

A Clymer resident spoke to Clymer Town Board members recently about commercial chicken barns that have begun popping up in Clymer and Sherman, including one on Upper Road in Clymer. Commercial chicken barns can be bigger than the chicken barns found on family farms, and the Clymer resident who spoke to the board was concerned about having a large barn built too close to his property line if a neighbor chooses to enter into a contract with a commercial chicken operation.

Before a NIMBY movement begins, it’s important to acknowledge there are plusses and minuses to these types of operations. The downside is there often isn’t a lot of consideration given to dealing with waste or taking down these larger chicken barns once the commercial operation winds down. A Duke University study published in 2024 shows that property neighboring commercial chicken farms had a lower resale value than similar properties not near commercial chicken farms.

There are positives, though, that need to be weighed. We’ve written often over the years of the struggles that family farms face economically. Farmers entering into a contract with a commercial chicken farm can receive a financial lifeline as long as the farm performs well. Agriculture is a key part of Chautauqua County’s economy, and this type of operation may be one way to make farming economically viable well into the future.

Hence the tightrope Clymer officials will walk. The Clymer resident raises valid questions that the Town Board needs to address in order to protect neighbors’ property values and town water supplies. The town also has to be wary of not prematurely pulling the plug on bigger farms in an area known for its farms.

It will be an interesting discussion to monitor as Clymer officials look for ways to preserve the town’s agricultural history as agriculture changes and, at the same time, making sure town property owners are protected. The only thing anyone can say for sure right now is that doing nothing is, frankly, for the birds.