Smyrna board approves in-home dog grooming at 805 Valley Drive with conditions

The Smyrna Board of Zoning Appeals on a unanimous vote approved a special exception allowing a dog grooming business to operate at 805 Valley Drive, subject to staff-recommended conditions limiting hours, clients and employees.

Planning staff presented the request as an in-home occupation on a 0.86-acre R-1 lot. The applicant intends to operate a grooming space attached to the garage as a single-operator business serving about four to five dogs on up to four days per week between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Staff told the board the property has an approximately 110-foot driveway and that the lot could accommodate required off-street parking.

Staff referenced Section 7.060 of the municipal zoning ordinance as the process for authorizing special exceptions and recommended limiting appointments so clients do not overlap, restricting employees to occupants of the dwelling, restricting hours to 8 a.m.–4 p.m., limiting operation to four days per week, requiring site cleanup after each client, prohibiting overnight boarding of animals and requiring compliance with applicable state regulations.

No members of the public stepped forward during the public hearing. Board members asked how conditions would be enforced if neighbors complained; Christie Brown, director of the Codes Department, said compliance officers could inspect and that the town could pursue court action if violations continued. Board discussion noted similar home-occupation approvals in the past, including personal grooming operations.

A motion to approve the request with the staff conditions carried with the ayes prevailing and the chair announcing the approval.