Help!! Kennel being put in across the street

[Egon]

Have you considered one of the ultrasonic whistles humans can't hear?

Blowing on one at odd hours would make for interesting results!

/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Egon

 

[Freds]

Thanks, Frank. I try to explain things objectively.

I'm guessing from what other kennel owners I'm in contact do, that that large an operation would require 6-10 employees plus the owners, which is why I mentioned that the township would be looking at revenues not only from the building on the land adding to the real estate taxes, but from potential employees. That will add up to a chunk of change.

I am also guessing that starting that large an operaton probably involves some people that are already "in" the business somehow. In other words, they know what they are getting into not only from the neighbors perspective (always a concern), but in doing things right to be able to house that many pets and gain a good reputaton and if there is a need for it in that area. There must be a need. They may have worked in a kennel before, be vet techs or vets, or perhaps are breeders and/or working or show people, in which case some of the proposed 150 dog or 50 cat areas may be going toward there own personal pets.
Then again, maybe they went for the zoning change using a high number so they don't need to go through it again if they add on...., that's also a possibility.

...and yes, while all (most) of you will be cracking open Easter eggs or otherwise enjoying the day off tomorrow, us kennel owners that operate our own facilities will be taking care of other people's pets and putting a day in like any other day of the week. It's very labor intensive, like you said, and you have to love your work, but from what I gather other agricultural based bussinesses are like that, too.

/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[hitekcountry]

Will all these animals be housed indoors or will it be setup with outdoor runs. noise wise it will make a huge difference.

where I live now there is a Vet hospital about a 100 yards away. Part of the business includes a kennel for boarding dogs.

When I first bought this property the people I bought from told me the Vets permit to run the kennel required that all the animals be housed indoors. They also said that the kennel was no bother at all. After moving here I found that to be true, I hardly noticed the place was there.

Then after a few years, suddenly there were outdoor kennels, what a difference! Apparently some dogs don’t like it when their owners go off and leave them in some strange place, because some of them would bark (and I could hear them) ALL NIGHT LONG!!!! And.... I think they only had about a half a dozen dogs outside.

I won’t go into all the details of how this came about or how it ended, but the outdoor kennels are now gone.

Like I said indoors or outdoors makes a huge difference.

So if they’re going to be just across the street, and if they have 100+ dogs outside, MOVE. or pray you go deaf.

Fred

 

[Henro]

Just thought of another related issue...don't think it was brought up yet, if it has and I forgot...sorry... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Rezoning concerns include more than one possible use...in this case a kennel. but actually any conforming use, at any future point in time, should the zoning change be approved.

For example, up the road from us there was an attempt to get the zoning changed on a few acres, to permit larger buildings to be built (now zoned single family residential) with business use permitted. The claim was (and this may have been true) the building(s) would house day time offices.

I went to the hearing. One of the neighboring property owners asked "if the zoning change is approved, what would prevent someone in the future from opening a night club, or some similar late night establishment(s) in these buildings?"

Answer was, that use would conform with the requested zoning change and it could not be prevented.

There were MANY people at this meeting. EVERYONE was against the change, except for the property owner (it was just sold to him by a developer who was putting up a couple hundred homes on 80 acres from which this piece of property was split off of). I just went to the meeting to add my voice against it, hoping to help the people there if I could.

That one "What if" question has remained with me since then as perhaps the most inportant question asked to the zoning board.

I would try to think up the worst possible situation as far as permitted use under the new zoning and hope to get a lttle leverage with the zoning commission by asking if they want inflict that type of situation (whatever it might be) on the neighboring property owners...because it could happen in the future if the zoning is changed (in addition to all the other great advice given above).

 

[PBinWA]

It all depends on how well run the kennel is and how considerate the kennel operators are. 150 dogs and 50 cats is too big for any sort of "quality" operation. You will most likely be very annoyed by the people traffic more than the dogs.

I have friends that operate a 40 dog kennel on 5 acres and I've been there for outdoor dinner parties and you barely hear the dogs. In fact the neighbors dogs are noisier than the dogs in the kennel. My friends exercise the dogs and provide nice clean well maintained indoor/outdoor kennels for the dogs.

Typically, the zoning will dictate how the waste needs to be managed. My friends have to get the waster removed commercially.

It sounds like these people aren't going to be so considerate. I'd get a lawyer to advise you on how to exercise your rights in this situation. It would be money well spent.

At the end of the day, I'd rather have 150 dogs living next to me than 150 people! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[Wannafish]

Right on Henro!

That in itself is the biggest factor in any re-zoning proposal. I have been Zoning Administrator in two different counties and the first thing I did was make sure the Planning/Zoning Board members and Township/City officials realize what "uses" the re-zoning would allow in that area. Most people have it in their minds that the issue at hand is the only issue being considered...it is not.
No matter who owns the property today and their proposed use, always be cognizant of the fact someone else will own it in the future and you have no idea what their idea for it's use will be.

I disageree with someone's statement that Zoning will take care of how the animal waste is controlled. Zoning usually doesn't cover that - County Health Dept. or EPA may have requirements - Zoning would only include those requirements as provided for the proposed use.

BTW- I got into the Planning/Zoning mess because I don't feel Zoning in rural settings is appropriate. Someone told me "If you don't like it the way it is, get invloved and change it", so I did.

Just my $.02 worth, and since I only charged you a penny for my thoughts you just came out a penny ahead!

 

[getut]

Wow I got to this thread late.. but I'll have to agree with Junkman on this one.

Everything has to get done somewhere. I'd ***MUCH*** rather have a hog farm, dog kennel, dairy farm (my house is next to a dairy farm) or just about anything else that "fits" in a rural area than I would a housing or commercial development.