The Pinal County Board of Supervisors on July 2 declined to approve a special use permit for a commercial kennel on Jean Drive and approved a separate permit for an Abbott family kennel on Valvesta Road, each on 3.3‑acre lots in the Suburban Ranch (SR) zoning district.

Why it matters: both permits were part of a coordinated review of five existing kennel operations that county staff and the Planning and Zoning Commission considered after neighbors raised noise, safety and code‑compliance concerns. The board’s mixed decision underscores the county’s use of special use permits to reconcile long‑running, neighborhood disputes with zoning standards while documenting conditions that must be met going forward.

What the board decided: staff reported that, as of the hearing, the Jean Drive application (case SUP‑007‑23) had drawn 42 letters of opposition and 132 letters of support; the Valvesta Road application (case SUP‑006‑23) had 40 letters of opposition and 131 letters of support. The board voted down the Jean Drive SUP after public testimony; a subsequent motion to approve the Valvesta Road SUP passed by a 4–1 vote.

Conditions attached: the Valvesta Road approval includes conditions the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended. Key stipulations include:
- limiting the number of adult dogs on the property to seven at any time;
- requiring fencing along the shared property line (a 7‑foot metal and wood fence was specified during the process) to be completed within four months of the board’s approval for the affected lot;
- restricting outdoor housing so dogs are to be housed inside kennels by 9 p.m. daily except for scheduled daytime yard time (three hours minimum during daylight);
- requiring owners to take measures to mitigate excessive barking (examples listed in the stipulation include bark collars and sound insulation), where “excessive barking” is defined for enforcement purposes as more than 15 minutes of frequent intermittent or sustained barking in the early morning prior to 6 a.m. or after 9 p.m.;
- maintaining a current Pinal County Animal Care and Control license at all times on the property, with only a 30‑day lapse allowed unless caused by county action; and
- making the special use permit binding on the land: if ownership or licensee changes, the permit becomes null and void unless re‑approved.

Neighbors’ concerns and applicants’ response: opponents who spoke and submitted letters cited repeated barking, instances of dogs on the loose, diminished ability to walk neighborhood streets safely and the long‑term effect of a permit that would remain with the land if owners change. Chad Burr and other neighbors read multiple letters into the record describing barking and at‑large incidents and urged the board to deny the permits.

The applicants — Renell Abbott and family representatives — said the operations are long‑standing, that the properties are well maintained, and that earlier contacts with county staff produced confusion about licensing requirements. Jason Sanks, the applicants’ representative, told the board the Abbotts had pursued county guidance as they learned permits were required and described the properties as family operations. Shell Abbott, who said she has lived at the original site for decades, told the board she sought to comply with county requirements once she understood them and that “we have been in the community for years.”

Enforcement and next steps: staff emphasized several enforcement checks that can trigger revocation if stipulations are violated — including inspections and a county‑initiated public hearing process following notice for noncompliance. The board’s decision to approve the Valvesta SUP carries those conditions and provides county code officers a path for review should neighbors report violations.

(Reporting for this item: Patrick Zaire Roberts, Senior Planner; applicants represented by Jason Sanks; public testimony from neighbors.)