Council denies special‑use permit for dog‑training and boarding at 3225 Harwood Road amid noise and safety concerns

The Bedford City Council voted unanimously June 24 to deny a request for a specific‑use permit for “breeding, boarding and kindling” (zoning language that covers boarding and training) at 3225 Harwood Road, Suite B, where the applicant proposed a dog‑training business (The Dog Wizard franchise) with limited client boarding.

Development Director Wes Morrison told council the unit is approximately 1,100 square feet in an 8,000‑square‑foot strip center developed in 1985; current uses nearby include a staffing agency and a cigar lounge. Planning and Zoning recommended approval 6‑1 with the condition that overnight boarding be permitted only when it is part of a training program; staff said the applicant had already been operating at the site before permits were issued and that code enforcement had intervened.

Owners Colin and Madeline McCaskill told council the business is appointment‑only, will limit group classes to six dogs, typically serve six to eight dogs per day, employs one to two staff on site during business hours (Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–6 p.m.), and currently has two boarding kennels with room to add up to two more (maximum four kennels). They said boarding would be reserved for dogs enrolled in their training programs and that boarding would be indoor only with daily cleaning and hygiene protocols. The owners said they walk dogs in a wooded strip behind the shopping center — not on the school’s athletic field — and described safety protocols and leash practices they use during training.

Multiple councilmembers and members of the public raised concerns about noise from barking, the adequacy of the small space for boarding, the lack of a fence or secure, on‑site outdoor exercise area, and potential interactions with children at the adjacent Harwood Junior High. Councilmembers and residents noted the proximity of the school and said routine overnight boarding (staff leaving in the evening and returning the next morning) risks unsupervised barking and escape. Planning staff acknowledged there is no numerical limit in the SUP language on overnight animals and that the rear area near the school is not part of the applicant’s leased suite.

Councilmember Donovan Bridal moved to deny the SUP; Councilmember Steeves seconded. The motion to deny passed unanimously.

Planning and Zoning had recommended approval subject to the overnight‑boarding limitation; council instead denied the request after public testimony and council questions about noise, safety and use of the adjacent wooded area. The applicant may revise the proposal and return in the future.