Pleasant Grove planning commissioners approved a conditional use permit for Heatseeker Reptiles to house, breed and ship small reptiles from a unit at 391 West 700 South.

The commission voted to limit the permit to use 8224 (animal kennels, boarding and breeding of small animals) rather than the broader use 8200 umbrella after staff recommended narrowing the allowed uses. Commissioner Trickler moved approval; Commissioner Martineau seconded, and the motion carried by voice vote.

Jacob, a planning staff member, told commissioners the applicant intends to occupy Unit 8 in a multi-unit flex space and that the conditional use permit would apply to the property (the staff report noted conditional uses remain with the land if buildings are rebuilt). He said the business would include three main activities: housing and breeding reptiles, fulfilling online orders, and providing online education to customers. Jacob described the proposed reptiles as ‘‘snakes, lizards, and geckos’’ and said ‘‘not include any venomous animals.’’

Applicants Russell Rafayco and Kennedy Davis told the commission the facility would be closed to the public and customer interaction would be online only. Rafayco said the closed facility is intended for ‘‘biosecurity’’ and described daily operations: ‘‘We check every single enclosure every day, and any waste is immediately disposed of.’’ He said employees would secure enclosures, use motion-activated cameras, and follow sanitation protocols. On employee levels he said the day-to-day activity consists of about one to two employee vehicles.

Jacob explained staff recommended the conditional use be limited to use 8224 because the broader use 8200 covers many unrelated activities (for example, landscaping, agricultural processing or animal hospitals). He told the commission that limiting the permit to 8224 ‘‘would let you guys do exactly what it is that you wanna do’’ while preventing the site from later accommodating unrelated industrial or agricultural uses without a new permit.

Commissioners asked about odor control, waste disposal and employee training. Rafayco said odor issues ‘‘only run into an issue when you’re not staying on top of cleaning’’ and that any waste would be bagged and secured for disposal. He said most animals planned are comparable to pet-store species and employees would receive on-the-job training rather than formal certifications required for venomous or large animals.

The application includes an intent to ship animals by mail as part of online fulfillment; Rafayco confirmed online orders would be packaged and shipped from the site. Jacob noted the applicant expects about 100 animals on-site, described the facility’s HVAC and fire-safety systems as meeting standard commercial requirements, and said the city’s kennel-code standards (ventilation, enclosure space, sanitation and nuisance prevention) would apply via a kennel-license process.

The commission’s approval included adoption of the exhibits, conditions and findings in the staff report and a requirement that final planning, engineering and fire-department requirements be met before issuance of building or business permits.

No members of the public addressed the commission during the public hearing on this item.

Looking ahead, staff noted that if the applicants later want to expand beyond the defined kennel/boarding/breeding activities they would need to apply for an additional conditional use permit.