Centerville planners approve Houndstown dog‑daycare with strengthened waste and pest controls

The Centerville Planning Commission voted April 8 to approve a conditional use permit for a dog daycare and boarding operation at 1323 West 50 South, a property on the city’s southern industrial edge.

Staff recommended approval after finding the proposal met buffering and architectural requirements for the industrial‑high zone and that it would not be detrimental to health or safety. The business, operating under the Houndstown franchise, will include indoor play groups separated by size and temperament, boarding suites and a pet spa; staff noted the site provides a 33‑foot setback from the city limit, meeting the 30‑foot buffering requirement, and a six‑foot architectural fence to reduce visual and noise impacts.

Why it matters: neighbors and commissioners focused on odors, pests and the potential for an outdoor play area that would require an eight‑foot fence. Commissioners tightened permit conditions to reduce nuisance risks and clarified that any request for an eight‑foot fence would require a separate variance or application.

Owner Jada Gettis told the commission Houndstown intends to “separate play groups based on size, temperament, and energy levels,” a structure she said creates a “calmer, a quieter environment” that prioritizes dog safety and reduces noise. Franchise protocols for waste handling were described as part of the applicant’s response to nuisance concerns: “Waste will be picked up immediately throughout the day ... bagged and then put into leak‑proof sealed containers,” the applicant said, adding that commercial pickup would occur on a weekly or biweekly schedule depending on need.

A local resident who spoke during public comment, Kyle Green, said he supported a local daycare site and praised staff review and the applicant’s protocols: “I think it’s a great idea to have somewhere local for local dogs to go,” he said.

Commissioners and staff amended one condition (originally broad language requiring nightly removal of “pet waste, garbage, and other additional items”) to specify that any pet waste, garbage or related items “shall be cleaned up daily and removed from the site weekly or bi‑weekly as necessary,” and that pet waste must be “bagged and contained in a sealed, odor‑controlled container while on site.” The commission also included a condition that the business “shall not create or allow conditions that attract pests,” and directed that dumpsters be sited to minimize impacts on adjacent residences.

The commission noted the ordinance definition of “kennel” and discussed whether to explicitly limit the conditional use to dogs and cats; commissioners agreed to keep the permit tied to the kennel definition in code and to avoid expanding the list of covered animals without a text amendment.

Next steps: The conditional use permit was approved by the Planning Commission; the applicant may pursue a height variance if it later seeks an eight‑foot outdoor play enclosure. The permit will be administered under the city’s standard compliance and nuisance enforcement procedures.