Springfield Planning Board continues Select Shepherds kennel hearing after debate over noise, puppy counts and waste handling

The Springfield Planning Board on June 18, 2026 continued the site-plan review for Select Shepherds, a proposed commercial dog kennel, after members and neighbors raised unresolved questions about noise mitigation, how animals are counted under prior ZBA action, and wastewater and waste-handling procedures.

Chair Tanner Jacques reopened the hearing after a short nonpublic session and, citing a consultation with Town counsel, said recusal was not necessary for any Board members who had been challenged. The Board limited public comment to seven minutes per person and heard an abutter describe several concerns.

Abutting property owner Steven Piispanen cited New Hampshire RSA 436:99 and argued the statute's definition of "dogs" does not distinguish puppies from adult animals; he asked whether the site plan and other filings were consistent about flooring and questioned how shampoo and wood-shaving waste would be handled by the on-site septic and the transfer station. Piispanen provided written comments (Appendix A) and said he would dispute an approval legally if the Board granted the permit without resolving his concerns.

Attorney Sheridan Brown, speaking for the applicants, said the proposed building location maximizes setback and takes advantage of a forested vegetative buffer and that additional mitigation tools—mass-loaded vinyl panels, screened run openings, vegetation and site placement—are proposed to limit off-site sound. "An earthen berm would be an after-the-fact consideration," Brown said, adding that outdoor runs would include top and bottom screens and that outdoor lighting would be motion-activated and down-shielded. Brown also told the Board that the interior would be built on a full concrete pad with possible non-porous vinyl over the pad for cleaning, and that routine public visits to the kennel would not be part of the operation.

Brown confirmed the applicants offered a set of proposed conditions that included numeric limits: no more than 15 adult dogs (defined in the application as dogs older than 16 weeks) and up to 12 puppies (younger than 16 weeks). Several Board members noted the Zoning Board of Adjustment decision referenced "adult dogs" but did not explicitly state whether puppies were counted toward the 15-dog limit; members disagreed on whether the Planning Board could or should alter the ZBA's intent without clarification. Member Mike Howard said he had not heard testimony that puppies were noise-generating and that the ZBA record should be reviewed; member John Trachy suggested returning the matter to the ZBA for clarification if the applicants would not accept an unconditional 15-dog cap.

Board members discussed a list of draft conditions circulated by Trachy and others. Items the Board agreed to pursue or asked staff to prepare language for included: dark-sky-compliant, down-shielded motion-activated exterior lighting; a maximum sign area of 12 square feet with no sign illumination; visitation and parking limits (visitation hours discussed at 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and off-street parking required); weekly removal of solid waste; submission of construction drawings or as-built plans for Planning Board review prior to or in conjunction with zoning permit issuance; and a requirement for post-construction acoustical testing by the applicants' acoustician at the property line to verify mitigation measures.

Town staff (Zoning Coordinator Tim Bray) and Vice-Chair Steve Dzubak flagged enforcement questions: enforcement of permit conditions and septic or health issues would generally fall to the Select Board and Health Officer rather than the Planning Board. The Board agreed it could draft conditions tied to site-plan approval while seeking either a legal opinion or clarification from the ZBA on the counting of puppies before final action.

On a motion by Ken Jacques, seconded by Mike Howard, the Board voted unanimously to continue the Select Shepherds hearing to July 16, 2026 at 7:05 p.m. The Board also unanimously accepted the May 21, 2026 minutes on a separate vote.

The hearing remains open; the Board asked staff to prepare proposed condition language and to collect any needed construction drawings, as-built plan requirements, and a record request to clarify ZBA intent on the dog-count issue prior to the July meeting.