Stephens County board approves variances and rezoning; local pet boarding business cleared to operate

The Stephens County Board of Commissioners on [date not specified] approved a series of land-use requests, including variances and rezonings that will allow accessory structures and new residential designations and cleared a local pet boarding and grooming business to operate from a residential property on Richardson Street.

At a public hearing, applicant Kelly Sabetti (stated name on the record) asked the board to grant a variance and a conditional-use permit for a home-based boarding and grooming business at 192 Richardson St. Sabetti told the board the site is tightly constrained by existing fences and trees and that the storage/grooming building cannot feasibly be moved behind the house or between the house and the privacy fence. “It won’t fit,” Sabetti said, explaining that power is connected to the structure but not water and that fence and tree work to relocate the building would cost “a minimum of $1,500” to modify a fence section or as much as $6,000 to replace it.

Neighbors and clients spoke in support. Jay Doss, who said he assisted the applicant with the permit application, asked the board to approve the variance and described the property as wooded and out of sight from the road. Client Wiley Helm, who said he drives to Clarksville when local boarding is unavailable, noted the business’s online reviews and urged the board to keep the service local. Neighbor Mrs. Gregory described neighborhood improvements since the applicant moved in and urged approval.

During discussion, a board member raised public-safety concerns about allowing a structure with essentially no side-yard setback, arguing that close placement of accessory buildings can increase the risk of rapid fire spread and complicate firefighting in a county that relies on volunteer fire services. Another commissioner said he shared those safety concerns but offered to help the applicant with relocation costs privately if the variance failed.

After the public hearing and board discussion, the board voted to approve the variance and related requests for the Richardson Street property. The board also approved separate land-use requests at other addresses: a variance for an accessory structure at 353 Oakway Drive (Tony Keller), and rezonings for small parcels requested by James Bruce III and Britney Stowers, all of which carried on voice votes.

The decisions followed Planning Commission recommendations that varied by case; for the Richardson Street property staff noted the Planning Commission had recommended approval of the conditional-use permit but denial of the variance. The board’s action overrode the Planning Commission’s variance recommendation in this instance.

The board’s approvals mean the home-based grooming and boarding business can proceed at the stated address under the conditions of the land-use approvals. The board did not specify additional permit conditions on the record and no formal timeline for inspections or final approvals was given at the meeting.