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Commission approves pet‑grooming special‑use permit despite neighboring businesses' noise concerns
Summary
The commission approved a special‑use permit for Lakeway Village Square Grooming at 1200 Lakeway Drive Unit 3 (7 days, 9–5, no boarding). Neighbors and an adjacent lymphatic‑massage business raised noise and livelihood concerns; the applicant offered soundproofing and scheduling mitigations. Vote: 6–1.
The Lakeway Zoning and Planning Commission approved a special‑use permit (SUP) for a pet‑grooming salon at 1200 Lakeway Drive Unit 3, permitting a dog and cat grooming facility in the C‑1 commercial zone. Staff told commissioners that grooming uses in C‑1 require an SUP. The commission approved the motion with one dissenting vote (6–1).
Applicant Christopher Sherback described operations as salon‑style scheduling, open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with no overnight boarding. He said the business would typically run 2–4 grooming tables at a time; "each groomer will probably do 5 to 6 dogs a day" and a best‑case throughput at five tables would be about 30 dogs, though typical daily volumes would be between 10 and 20. The applicant also noted an operational policy to charge clients who keep dogs on the premises beyond pickup time to discourage lingering.
Two neighboring commercial tenants spoke during the public‑hearing portion and urged caution. Laura Savage Raines, a massage client and neighbor, asked the commission to "really consider the potential noise" from dogs and blow dryers that could reach clients undergoing therapeutic massage. Jim McGann, who operates Lone Star Lymphatic next door and said he invested roughly $20,000 building out a calming therapy suite, said persistent barking could threaten his business and clientele: "It's just not gonna work for me ... this is gonna affect my livelihood quite a bit." Staff and commissioners probed whether the lease or landlord restrictions might limit tenant uses.
The applicant responded that the business uses appointment scheduling to keep dogs calm and said he would work with the landlord and neighbors on acoustical mitigation: "So, we're willing to put up soundproofing if we need to and to have that tested," he said. Commissioners discussed term length for the SUP (one motion proposed a 25‑year term), finish‑out costs and whether conditions such as required soundproofing or landlord agreements were enforceable via the SUP; staff noted some finish‑out investment typically accompanies tenant build‑outs. Ultimately the commission approved the permit 6–1.
