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Hanover Junction association objects to proposed shelter site; asks to use city pound temporarily
Summary
Representatives connected to a proposed animal shelter site at Hanover Junction told the commission they cannot use the lot due to newly formed covenants and asked to negotiate temporary use of the city pound; staff said an existing MOU could be revisited and they would follow up.
A speaker representing Hanover Junction property owners told the City of Lewistown Commission that a planned animal shelter site in the Hanover Junction subdivision is no longer viable because property covenants and an owners’ association have prevented the shelter from locating there.
The speaker said the association had informed them at the last minute that the subdivision’s covenants now prohibit an animal shelter in the commercial area they had identified and that the owners had not been notified when the covenants were formed. The speaker said the change leaves the shelter project scrambling to find a new site despite having secured funding from several states.
The speaker asked whether the city would consider allowing temporary use of the city pound while they secure a permanent site and said an MOU or lease previously used could be “dusted off” as a starting point. City staff indicated they would review the earlier MOU and follow up within days; the public record shows staff agreed to examine the previous agreement as a possible short-term solution.
Commissioners and staff discussed the legal basis the subdivision association might have to restrict uses (covenants) and suggested the speaker seek counsel. Commissioner questions sought clarification on whether the affected lot was in county jurisdiction and on covenant authority. The speaker said the property—referred to as Hanover Junction—is in the county and that the covenants were prepared by the association.
No formal action or commitment to a specific temporary arrangement was made at the meeting; staff agreed to follow up with the speaker by phone or email and to look at the prior MOU as a possible path forward.
