Winona County planning panel recommends short-term dog boarding facility near County Road 25 with noise conditions

Winona County Planning Commission recommended approval of an interim use permit for a short-term animal boarding facility proposed by Greg Domels and Brandy Domels in Hillsdale Township, voting 7-0 to forward the recommendation to the county board.

The Commission’s recommendation covers a proposed 5,000-square-foot indoor facility with attached outdoor runs and parking accessed from County Road 25 on a roughly 3-acre site. Staff described the proposal as a daycare/overnight boarding operation intended to serve an average of about 40 dogs and 15 cats and said draft findings and four conditions were prepared to support an interim use approval that would require reapplication if the property transferred to a new owner.

Commission staff planner Olivia summarized the application and the zoning citations under which the petition was noticed, saying the request was not for a commercial breeder but for a boarding/daycare use. She described the site as Ag Resource Conservation zoned, noted five nearby residences within about 1,500 feet and reviewed site photos and the applicant’s site plan. Olivia also pointed commissioners to a county barking-dog ordinance enforced by the sheriff’s office and explained that the county’s enforcement language uses a 100-foot hearing-distance standard rather than a decibel threshold.

Neighbor Amber Braun, who lives about 600 feet from the proposed facility, said she does “not want to oppose the permit” but urged the commission to require clearer noise-management measures and suggested a capacity cap of 25–30 dogs based on comparisons with other local facilities and guidance on staffing ratios. “I do want to make it clear that we aren’t looking to oppose the permit,” Braun said, adding that a simple letter received from the county didn’t provide enough operational detail to anticipate impacts.

Petitioner Greg Domels described the business as a home-based operation on a hobby-farm property and said the owners plan to start with family labor and add employees only if needed. He confirmed the proposed building would be insulated and said the run area sits in a low spot of the property; the petitioner said tree plantings, fencing and alternate run placement were options to reduce noise.

Commissioners discussed the apparent tension between labeling the proposed permanent building as an “interim use” and the county’s practice of using interim permits for kennel-type operations to trigger reapplication if ownership changes. Several commissioners pressed staff on enforcement tools; staff reiterated the county barking-dog ordinance and explained the typical enforcement path (warning, then enforcement actions) and suggested that county staff or the sheriff’s office would handle any repeat violations.

After discussion the commission voted to move the petition, staff findings and conditions to the Winona County Board for final action. County staff noted the county board will hold its meeting on Tuesday, April 8 at 9 a.m. in the same room.

Details from the record: the application cites Winona County zoning provisions concerning dog kennels and similar uses; staff recommended an interim use finding with an identifiable end trigger tied to change of ownership; staff drafted four conditions including development certificate and septic permits to be issued administratively after county board action. The county’s barking-dog ordinance defines a reportable barking incident as audible to a person other than the owner within 100 feet of the property line and provides for enforcement steps.

Next steps: The commission’s recommendation will be delivered to the Winona County Board for a final decision on April 8, 2025.