Planning commission approves hobby kennel permit for 840 17th Avenue South with conditions

The Wisconsin Rapids Planning Commission voted 5–0 March 2 to grant a conditional-use hobby kennel permit to allow up to six dogs at 840 17th Avenue South.

Staff presented the application from Rachel Cooney and said a recent ordinance change removed the prior pet-exemption permit; the municipal code now requires a hobby kennel license for households keeping more than four animals. Elizabeth Edwardson, associate planner, said the property is a small, fully developed R2 mixed-residential lot with a nonconforming lot width and that staff were hesitant to recommend approval because the parcel "does not appear to be ideally sized to support the intensity of the use." Staff nonetheless outlined recommended conditions including compliance with Chapter 11 zoning, a permanent, secure enclosure for exercise areas, and inspections to verify animal health and vaccination status.

Neighbors raised barking and nuisance concerns during the public hearing. Carlen Dillingham, a nearby resident, told the commission she and others have submitted emails about continuous barking that disturbs neighbors who work night shifts. "If their dogs are out there now they just bark and bark and bark," Dillingham said, adding neighbors have supplied written complaints.

Applicant Rachel Cooney told the commission she will install a permanent fence and that two adult dogs in the household are fixed; she said she relies on her dogs for medical reasons related to seizures and that she is not presently planning to breed. "There will be a fence put in the yard," Cooney said, adding the landlord has authorized fencing and she will pay for installation.

During deliberations Mayor Yson and other commissioners pressed for mitigations to reduce visual stimuli that can trigger barking. Yson proposed—and the commission adopted as a condition—a screened permanent fence with a five-foot minimum height (acceptable materials cited included solid wood, vinyl, or chain-link with privacy slats). Staff said a fence permit must be obtained by May 31. The commission also required that the hobby kennel pass an inspection by the Wood County humane officer and the city code enforcement officer to confirm animals are properly housed, groomed, vaccinated and fed; failure to pass inspection may prompt review of the conditional use permit. Staff reiterated that conditional-use permits are project-specific and do not automatically transfer to new occupants; a new resident with multiple dogs would likely need to apply separately.

The motion to approve was moved and seconded, then approved unanimously, 5–0. Next steps include issuance of the permit subject to the listed conditions and compliance checks; the commission noted the common council may terminate the use if it becomes a nuisance.