CRA denies $75,000 property improvement grant for proposed dog daycare at 1818 Madison Street

The Hollywood Community Redevelopment Agency on April 2 denied a request for up to $75,000 in property improvement grant funding for improvements at 1818 Madison Street, a proposed conversion of an existing duplex into a dog daycare called Barkology.

Supporters of the application, including the property owner Alex Goinman and operator Nico (Nico) Safrani, described plans for exterior improvements — impact windows and doors, paint, stucco, fencing and pavers — tied to $173,000 in total private investment. Agency staff presented the PIP application and recommended approval of a $75,000 grant covering roughly 43 percent of the exterior scope.

The board’s discussion focused less on whether the dog daycare was allowed — Andrea Winget, the city’s Director of Development Services, said the Federal Highway 2 (FH2) zoning district permits mixed uses — and more on whether CRA dollars were appropriate for funding the change of use and whether the proposed site could meet operational requirements. Concerns raised included the size and configuration of the rear parking area, alley access…