Supervisors approve ordinance change allowing commercial kennels in college‑residential district and grant special‑use permit

Prince Edward County supervisors on March 11 amended Appendix B of the county zoning ordinance to allow commercial kennels in the College Residential (CR) zoning district by special‑use permit, then approved a specific special‑use permit to permit Lindsey Mulvey to operate a small kennel on Oliver Lane under a set of conditions the planning commission recommended.

What the change does: The ordinance amendment adds commercial kennel as a special‑use category in the CR district; that change does not authorize a specific business but allows the county to accept and consider permit applications in that district. Planning staff said the amendment followed standard public notice and a unanimous planning commission recommendation in January.

Special‑use permit details: Mulvey told the board she plans a small operation limited to a maximum of six customer dogs at a time (plus her own) with limited drop‑off and pick‑up windows, indoor overnight housing, a single outdoor exercise area supervised by staff, vaccination and licensing requirements and a six‑foot privacy fence. Planning staff included 13 recommended conditions; the applicant agreed to those conditions on the record.

Why it matters: The change creates a pathway for small, regulated pet‑care businesses near Hampden‑Sydney where the college and nearby residences coexist. Neighbors raised private‑covenant and compatibility concerns at the hearing, and a number of college and neighborhood stakeholders spoke in favor of having faculty‑friendly housing and services on or near campus.

Board action and vote: The board approved the ordinance amendment and, separately, the special‑use permit application. Both actions passed on roll‑call votes; one member abstained from the ordinance vote on land‑use taxation earlier in the meeting and another abstained on the kennel item as recorded in the minutes.

Conditions and next steps: The special‑use permit includes the planning commission’s specified conditions concerning hours, fencing, maximum dogs, vaccination/licensing and noise mitigation. The county will issue the permit once required inspections and permits are satisfied; county staff said it will monitor compliance and apply permit conditions through the zoning enforcement process.

Ending: The pair of votes allows a tightly restricted commercial kennel in the CR district by case‑by‑case permit, and provides a pathway for Mulvey to proceed with her planned small‑scale operation under the board’s adopted conditions.