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Planning Commission asks Friends group to present plans for proposed county animal shelter
Summary
At its Dec. 18 meeting the Northumberland County Planning Commission discussed county‑owned parcels that might host a new animal shelter, asked the Friends of Northumberland County Animal Shelter to provide floor plans and cost estimates, and invited the group to present at the Feb. 19 meeting.
The Northumberland County Planning Commission spent much of its Dec. 18 work session reviewing county‑owned parcels that might accommodate a proposed new animal shelter and asking the Friends of Northumberland County Animal Shelter (FNCAS) to provide building plans and cost estimates.
Chairman Garfield Parker opened the work session after staff relayed a Board of Supervisors memo asking the commission to identify county parcels larger than 15 acres that could host the facility. County Planner Stuart McKenzie and Commissioner John Kost described the Board’s request that the commission weigh site suitability and budget implications.
Commissioners said FNCAS told the Board it prefers at least 20 acres and that the organization would be open to relocating on county land rather than purchasing a parcel. Kost said the Board has discussed leasing county land to FNCAS for $1.00 per year so the county retains ownership while allowing the shelter use of the site.
Commissioners and staff identified several potential county properties and flagged constraints: the Lottsburg old school site would require demolition and could incur asbestos abatement costs; the new courthouse parcel raised concerns about noise near court operations; and the Poor House Tract on Dodlyt Road is roughly 150 acres but contains cemeteries, has archaeological sensitivity and lacks utilities.
McKenzie also pointed to topographic and drainage challenges on the FNCAS’s current county parcel, which is about 1 acre and sits adjacent to the county dump. He said a roughly 40‑foot‑deep gully bisects the tax parcel and could require a culvert or bridge and additional engineering and road construction costs if development moved further back on that property.
Commissioners repeatedly told staff that the county cannot evaluate or commit to a relocation until FNCAS supplies a proposed floor plan with estimated construction costs and a clearer funding plan. Commissioners discussed the possibility that FNCAS could solicit land donations or that the county could lease space, but emphasized budget and utility limitations.
Kost said he would open a dialog with FNCAS and invite the group to present floor plans and cost estimates at the Planning Commission’s Feb. 19 meeting so members can better assess site options and fiscal impacts.
The commission took no formal vote on a site or funding commitment at the Dec. 18 meeting.
