Board approves dog-boarding and training facility at 8912 Las Casas Pike with noise and buffering conditions

The Rutherford County Board of Zoning Appeals approved a special exception to establish a dog boarding and training facility at 8912 Las Casas Pike, subject to staff-recommended conditions to limit noise and visual impacts.

Planning staff described the request as a kennel and training facility on a combined parcel created by replatting parts of two adjoining properties. The applicant plans to build a roughly 3,800-square-foot building, operate up to six days per week for up to eight hours per day and employ a small number of nonresident staff. Staff recommended conditions that all dogs be housed indoors except for limited, fenced outdoor activities; that the kennel building be soundproofed to minimize off-site noise; and that a vegetative buffer and privacy fence be installed adjacent to outdoor exercise areas.

Applicant Brian Sullivan said the building would be constructed to commercial code, fully insulated and designed to blend with the home and accessory structures on site: "The building will be, built to commercial code. So it'll be a very nice, building. Aesthetically, it matches the our house and our other, accessory building. It'll be fully insulated. Both the ceilings, the walls, everything." Sullivan said training would be done primarily indoors in a 40-by-40 training room and that staffing would be limited: "There'll be a maximum of 3 employees, my wife, my daughter, and then potentially, if it gets big enough, another 1 to assist with. So no more than 3 at a time." He also said the owners had completed training and certification relevant to the business.

Board members asked whether the parcel split and replat would require a formal subdivision plat; staff confirmed a plat will be required before the use is established because the combined acreage is less than five acres. Staff also noted that similar kennel approvals in the past have included soundproofing and buffer requirements to mitigate noise impacts; the board included those as conditions in the approval.

The motion to approve included staff conditions that the facility operate in accordance with submitted materials, obtain required building, sign and zoning permits, house dogs indoors except for limited outdoor activity in enclosed areas, soundproof the kennel building, and provide a vegetative buffer and privacy fence along the outdoor areas. The roll-call vote in the transcript shows all members present voting in favor.

Administrative follow-up: the applicant must submit a subdivision plat to combine the relevant parcel portions and obtain required permits prior to construction and operation; planning staff will verify compliance with the soundproofing and buffering requirements during permit review and inspections.