Couple seeks permit for Soaring Heights Kennel in Elbert County

Jim Atkins and his wife, Lorraine Atkins, presented a proposal at a community meeting to build Soaring Heights Kennel on their 65-acre property at 13390 County Road 182 in Elbert County. The applicants said the building would be about 1,000 square feet, include 15 kennel spaces (with a maximum of about 20 dogs if small dogs share spaces) and operate by appointment only.

The applicants described operations as strictly scheduled drop-offs and pick-ups, with indoor housing during business and nighttime hours and outdoor-run access between about 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. "We want to make sure that Elbert County remains the type of place that still has birds chirping and wind blowing," Jim Atkins said, describing plans for a sound-resistant building and sanitary care aligned with Colorado state law.

The couple told neighbors the kennel would not use their domestic well; instead they plan to have water delivered. They said the facility would either use a shared septic system or its own septic depending on permitting requirements, and that the building would have a separate address (13390) if approved. The applicants estimated roughly four additional vehicle trips per day tied to customer drop-offs and pickups and said they do not expect fleet or heavy commercial traffic.

An Elbert County staff member answered procedural questions from online attendees and said the county process requires a formal application, a completeness check, agency referrals (for example, fire and road-and-bridge reviews), and an initial comment period. The staff member said an initial review typically takes about three to four weeks, full review and responses take roughly eight to 12 weeks depending on issues raised, and public hearings follow: the Planning Commission hears SUR applications at an evening meeting (first Tuesday of the month) and the Board of County Commissioners holds a decision hearing (second or fourth Wednesday at 1 p.m.).

When asked whether an approved maximum number of dogs could be increased without another public hearing, the staff member said: "The short answer is no. It could not be changed without another public hearing," adding that any change would require an amendment to the Special Use Review (SUR) and the same public-notice process.

Applicants said they have only conceptual drawings and have not selected a contractor. They estimated, based on contractor conversations, that construction could take about three months if work begins in spring or summer, or closer to six months if delayed; they said best-case operation would be late this year or next spring. The applicants also said they plan to keep an existing modest property sign reading "Soaring Heights Homestead" and do not intend a prominent commercial sign.

No formal vote or decision was taken at the community meeting. The next steps are for the applicants to submit a formal application, complete the county referral and review process, and appear at scheduled public hearings before the Planning Commission and the Board of County Commissioners. Neighbors were directed that notices will be mailed to addresses within a half-mile and posted on the property in advance of those hearings.