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Dog‑training operator seeks use variance; county staff highlight septic, traffic, signage and noise questions
Summary
Attorney Scott Yaney and property owner James Fitzgerald appeared for an informal review of a request for a use variance to operate a dog‑training/kennel use from a roughly 9‑acre single‑family property.
Attorney Scott Yaney and property owner James Fitzgerald appeared for an informal review of a request for a use variance to operate a dog‑training/kennel use from a single‑family property. Yaney described the operation as a commercial kennel use under the Unified Development Ordinance’s defined term but emphasized the business does not breed dogs and is focused on training and residency for a limited number of animals.
Fitzgerald told the panel the property is roughly nine acres and that he typically houses about eight to ten dogs in residency for training (residency periods commonly run for about a month). “We do keep roughly 8 to 10 dogs on property from time to time,” Fitzgerald said. He said daytime drop‑off and pick‑up traffic is modest—about two to three vehicles per day—and that dogs are rotated for walks and taken into the community for training.
Staff and health department reviewers raised several preparation items for the Board of Zoning Appeals. Dan (health department staff) asked about septic sizing and noted washdown water and hair can cause septic problems; Dan recommended the applicant meet at the health department to verify whether the existing septic system is sized for the nonresidential use. Staff also asked applicants to compile waste‑handling procedures; Fitzgerald described picking up solid waste into buckets, treating it with an enzyme product and disposing of it in regular trash to avoid on‑site pits or drains.
County staff asked about parking, signage and driveway width; Fitzgerald said there is a single 24‑by‑36‑inch sign near the house and recommended widening the driveway to 18 feet for the first 50 feet to allow vehicles to pass. Noise and staffing were discussed: staff asked how Fitzgerald manages barking and said the applicant hires a staff member whose role is managing dogs to limit barking and disturbance.
Susan (planning) and other staff summarized next steps: verify septic and well separations, assemble neighbor support letters where possible, confirm stormwater and driveway permits if modifications are proposed, and be prepared to answer questions about parking, signage and noise at the formal Board of Zoning Appeals hearing. No formal action was taken during the informal review.
