Big Rapids board approves overnight dog boarding at 107 N. Warren with conditions

The Big Rapids Zoning Board voted to approve a use-variance application for 107 North Warren Avenue on Sept. 25, allowing overnight animal boarding in a C-2 downtown building with conditions limiting the operation to a maximum of 15 dogs and prohibiting stacked kennels.

Michelle, the city staff presenter, opened the public hearing by describing the application from JR Properties and noting the property’s downtown C-2 zoning, its corner location at Maple and Warren and a historic water-main access issue that affects neighboring buildings. "This is a use variance request for 107 North Warren Avenue," Michelle told the board during the staff overview.

Jordan White, who identified himself as a partial owner of JR Properties, said the planned business — proposed as Big Rapids Boarding Company — would operate overnight boarding and daytime daycare in a professionally run facility. "We are in the process or or attempting to put some sort of dog boarding facility into the commercial space down below," Jordan said, summarizing the applicant’s pitch that emphasized sanitation, ventilation, temperature control and security.

An operator identified in the record as Devlin Nikki described facility features including dense-pack soundproofing between floors, an air-filtration and outside-air heating system, solid-core doors, FRP-lined kennel walls for easy wash-down and epoxy flooring with commercial base trim. The applicant said the kennel area would be a separately zoned interior space and that a wash sink and pull-out trays would be used for daily sanitation.

Board members and staff pressed the applicants on operational details: kennel divider construction and how inserts would be removed for cleaning; isolation and transport procedures when a dog falls ill (the applicants said dogs would be taken to a veterinarian); vaccine rules (applicants said a five-way vaccine and kennel-cough vaccine would be required, with vaccinations done at least two weeks prior); staffing plans; and drop-off/pick-up logistics. The applicant said two on-site parking spots at the rear would be designated for customers and that boarding would be appointment-based.

Several members of the public spoke in support. Charlene Stroop said the downtown location would make it easier for volunteers and residents who already travel out of town for boarding, urging the board to "please see how you can make this work." Other speakers, including Tim White and local small-business patrons, praised the applicants’ professionalism and the need for an in-town option.

During deliberation, board members and staff raised two recurring concerns: that use variances "run with the property" and therefore could allow future owners to operate a kennel, and that the interior space is modest — staff recorded the building’s total square footage at about 1,780 with roughly 800–900 square feet for the proposed kennel area. To address space and welfare concerns the board proposed conditions limiting the number of dogs and banning stacked (multi-tier) kennels.

The chair moved to approve the variance "to allow for use overnight animal boarding" with the conditions of no stacked kennels and a 15-dog maximum; the motion was seconded and passed on roll call with recorded affirmative votes from Nystrom, Walton, Jalen and Lumke. The board and applicant discussed follow-up compliance steps, including obtaining any required county kennel license and the usual building/health permits prior to opening.

What’s next: The approval is conditional; the applicant must complete any required county kennel licensing and city driveway/permit steps and show the board or staff evidence that operational requirements (e.g., vaccination verification, sanitation plumbing and zoning-related permit conditions) are in place before commencing overnight boarding.