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Hooper planning commission tables hobby‑kennel permit after neighbors and staff note missing site plan
Summary
The commission paused a conditional‑use permit for a proposed hobby kennel at 6559 W. 4600 S., citing a missing site plan and unresolved neighbor concerns about fencing, noise and waste. Applicants described indoor housing and supervised outdoor time; commissioners asked for a site plan before reconsideration.
The Hooper Planning Commission on April 9 tabled a conditional‑use permit application from Nick Brown and Grace Richards for a hobby kennel at 6559 West 4600 South after staff and neighbors said the packet lacked an adequate site plan and outstanding concerns remained.
Staff noted the property is in an R‑1 zone and that a hobby‑kennel permit in city code covers four to 10 dogs and requires an annual county kennel license and animal‑control inspection if approved. Commissioners and neighbors raised questions about where outdoor activity would occur, whether temporary kennels or a kennel pad were planned, waste‑disposal and the risk of dogs getting loose.
Applicant Grace Richards told the commission the dogs are “not kept outside overnight,” that outdoor time would be supervised and that the animals live indoors in a dedicated room. “We want to make sure we get all the permits in place to be able to house those dogs in our house,” she said.
Several neighbors pressed for more detail. A neighbor who identified himself as Josh Muir said he lives across the street and asked whether the applicants intended to breed dogs; applicant Grace Richards said not at this time. Public commenter Cheryl Hairpiece, who described decades of dog‑training experience, said she was “terrified of Malinois,” arguing that such dogs require specialized socialization and raised concerns about public safety if animals were not properly contained.
Staff and commissioners noted the packet did not include a site plan showing kennel locations, fencing, gates or the proposed “potty area,” and said that county inspections and the county kennel license would be required if the city approved the CUP. Given the missing site plan and lingering neighborhood concerns about noise, smell and animal escapes, Commissioner Bates moved to table the application until a site plan is submitted with the application; Commissioner Mortensen seconded the motion and the commission voted to table the request.
The commission did not make a decision on the merits and left open the option to reconsider the application when a complete site plan and any additional requested documentation are provided.
