Planning board grants conditional use permit for dog boarding, grooming and daycare at 7 Gilbert Lane

The Limington Planning Board voted to grant a conditional-use permit for a home-based dog boarding, grooming and daycare operation at 7 Gilbert Lane, approving the permit with two written conditions. Chair Joyce moved the motion outlining staffing and vaccination requirements; Grace seconded and the board approved the permit. Joyce said the board will issue a written notice of decision and the applicant should receive it within days to a couple of weeks.

The permit includes two stipulations the applicant agreed to: one employee per up to five dogs and two employees if six dogs are on site, and that all state-required vaccinations be required for dogs using the facility. Applicant Ashley Ferrell told the board the planned outdoor kennel footprint is about 30 by 10 feet for a six-run kennel, with indoor boarding and a grooming area on a six-acre lot buffered by trees. On mitigation, Ferrell said, "We have 1 employee staffed to 5 dogs," and described procedures to bring noisy dogs indoors and to deny dogs that cause disturbances. The board confirmed utilities and site-service items (well, septic and a trash contract) during its review of conditional-use criteria.

The board recorded the action during the public hearing; Joyce read applicable conditional-use standards aloud to confirm they were met or not applicable in each subsection before asking for a motion. The written decision will note the conditions the board attached and any administrative steps the applicant must complete, including obtaining any required business permits and the state boarding license.