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Council directs staff to pursue downtown-specific plan amendment to allow limited, daytime veterinary clinic services
Summary
The council gave direction to pursue an amendment to the downtown specific plan to permit limited veterinary clinic services by minor use permit (no overnight boarding) to enable the SPCA to operate mobile spay/neuter clinics and limited wellness services at a proposed Kidder Street site.
Ariana Mora, senior planner, summarized a proposed amendment to the Downtown Specific Plan that would allow limited veterinary clinic services in the downtown core by minor use permit while continuing to prohibit animal boarding and overnight stays in that zone. The animal-welfare nonprofit SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) requested confirmation because it has identified a 970-square-foot leased office at 155 Kidder Street. The SPCA’s model would pair a mobile spay/neuter vehicle parked outside the leased office with same-day recovery and pickup in the office; surgeries would occur on the mobile unit and animals would not remain overnight.
Scott DeLucci, CEO of the SPCA, told the council the organization plans two low-cost spay/neuter clinic days per week and one day of low-cost vaccinations/wellness appointments; services would be appointment-only with limited drop-off/pick-up windows and not accept owner surrenders or stray intake at that leased office. DeLucci said the model is intended to reduce sheltering costs and provide accessible preventive services to South County residents. The organization said it will continue to pursue other locations as needed but prefers a downtown presence for accessibility and visibility.
Council members asked about circulation, parking, and whether wildlife or injured wild animals could be temporarily held for transfer to wildlife services; staff and SPCA said temporary same-day holding and transfer could be arranged where necessary but overnight holding and stray intake would be prohibited at the downtown site. Staff said the requested Downtown Specific Plan amendment would create a new minor-veterinary-clinic definition and allow minor use permits with conditions (noise control, appointment windows, no overnight boarding) and that any final zoning change would follow the normal ordinance and public-notice process (planning commission and council hearings).
By consensus the council directed staff to proceed with drafting the downtown-specific plan amendment and ordinance language and to coordinate conditions that would limit the use to daytime clinical services without boarding or overnight animal stays. Staff and SPCA representatives acknowledged they will continue to pursue alternate locations if the zoning amendment process takes longer than SPCA’s lease timeline.
No ordinance vote occurred at this meeting; council provided policy direction only.
