Abutter raises septic, flooring and waste concerns at Select Shepherds hearing

During public comment on June 18, abutter Steven Piispanen delivered a prepared list of concerns about the Select Shepherds kennel application and asked the board to reconcile inconsistencies across submitted documents and regulatory requirements.

Piispanen cited NH RSA 436:99 while arguing the state statute does not distinguish puppies from adult dogs, and he questioned conflicting descriptions of flooring and wastewater handling between applications. He said the EPA-related application referenced mopping floors while the site-plan materials referenced gravel and concrete, and raised how shampoo and wood-shavings waste would interact with the onsite septic system.

Chair Tanner Jacques and Attorney Sheridan Brown responded with clarifications: the building would include a concrete pad and may have non-porous vinyl in animal-use areas, and Brown said DES’s review referenced wash water (shampoo/water) whereas solid waste would be bagged in shavings and taken to the transfer station. Piispanen provided the board with his written concerns (Appendix A) and said he would dispute any permit approval legally if those issues were not addressed.

The board took Piispanen’s objections under advisement as it outlined conditions and asked for construction drawings to be provided before a zoning permit would be issued.