Grayson County planning panel approves special-use permit for Wilson's Black and Tans kennel with noise, expansion limits

The Grayson County Planning Commission voted to approve Special Use Permit application 20250205 for Wilson's Black and Tans, a commercial boarding and breeding kennel at 643 Shell Hollow Lane, with conditions including state-code compliance, annual records checks and a limit on expansions before a permit revision is required.

The staff presentation on the application identified the parcel as 4.125 acres in the Providence District (tax map 8-A-2C1) in a Rural Farm zoning district and said kennels are allowed there with a special-use permit. Planning staff's report said the kennel has operated since 2023 without prior county authorization and described the proposed commercial operations as boarding "five-plus non-owner dogs for a fee" and keeping intact females for breeding as allowed under the county's zoning ordinance sections 2-32 and 2-33.

The staff report, read aloud by planning staff (identified in the record as Miss Black, Planning Commission staff), cited neighbor complaints about noise and presented audible-decibel recordings submitted by nearby resident William Baldwin. Miss Black told the commission the recordings showed peaks in the high 80s to low 90s dB at times, recorded from roughly 600 feet from the kennel using an uncalibrated phone app. She recommended approval with four conditions: (1) full compliance with the cited state commercial-breeding provisions referenced in the staff report, (2) any expansion or modification of kennel facilities would require permit review, (3) submission of kennel records for annual compliance checks before tag issuance, and (4) the special-use permit would be void if the business ceases for 24 months.

Applicant Steven Ryan Wilson told the commission he breeds and trains hunting hounds and described clients who travel from other states to buy puppies and attend hunts. Wilson said the kennel operates as a side business and described charitable activities the operation has supported. He told the commission the physical kennel is a six-bay facility and that he normally keeps about six to eight dogs on site; he said he currently keeps four breeding females and two males and occasionally boards dogs for short periods.

Neighbor William Baldwin spoke in the public hearing and said the barking had at times woken his grandchildren at his nearby guest house, and that the recordings he submitted showed peaks in sound that affected his family's sleep. Baldwin said the owner had been apologetic after they spoke and that the owner had purchased bark collars and that he intended to plant evergreens along the property line; Baldwin said he was satisfied those steps had begun to mitigate the problem.

During deliberations commissioners focused on two enforcement and scope questions: how many dogs and breeding females the county would treat as an expansion, and how to avoid forcing the owner back to the commission for small, routine changes. Commissioners and staff agreed the current physical facility capacity (six-bay kennel) should allow minor operational flexibility but that larger expansions should trigger a permit revision. The commission amended the staff recommendation to specify that expansions beyond an eight-bay kennel would require a revision to the special-use permit; expansions up to eight bays may proceed without returning to the commission.

A motion to approve the special-use permit as recommended by staff, with the modification limiting required revisions to expansions beyond an eight-bay kennel, passed by voice vote and roll call. Planning staff said the commission's approval will be transmitted to the Grayson County Board of Supervisors for final action; the staff letter and republishing required for the board hearing will follow.

Clarifying details recorded in the hearing include: the site address (643 Shell Hollow Lane), parcel size (4.125 acres), tax map number (8-A-2C1), the kennel has operated since 2023, the applicant's reported on-site kennel is a six-bay facility, the applicant reported four breeding females and two males, and neighbor-submitted decibel peaks reported in the staff packet ranged roughly 86'90 dB (un-calibrated phone app; measurements taken at varying times between around 10:30 and 13:00 in the samples provided). The staff report listed the relevant county zoning provisions (Grayson County Zoning Ordinance sections 2-32 and 2-33) and referenced state commercial-breeding rules cited in the staff packet.

The commission recorded conditions of approval in the meeting minutes and the applicant was told staff would send formal notice of approval and forward the item to the Board of Supervisors for final review.

Votes at a glance: The Planning Commission approved Special Use Permit application 20250205 for Wilson's Black and Tans (motion passed; roll call in favor recorded by the clerk). The commission amended staff condition 2 to allow expansions up to an eight-bay kennel without returning to the commission; expansions beyond eight bays require a revised special-use permit and commission review.

The commission noted that animal-control staff reported no outstanding code violations on the property in county records and that waste disposal statements from the applicant indicated on-site pasture disposal or off-site disposal; staff included the waste disposal practice in the record but did not cite a change in method as a condition beyond compliance with state breeding rules. The commission did not set a numeric cap on total companion animals kept on rural residential property, noting the county ordinance treats commercial boarding/breeding (fee-for-service) differently from private companion-animal ownership.

Next steps: staff will issue a written notice of the commission's action, republish the item, and forward it to the Grayson County Board of Supervisors for final decision.