MONROE, Conn. — Felicia Eltman, who established the Tails of Comfort Pet Resort LLC last October, wants to open a pet daycare and grooming business with kennels to board animals at 127 Enterprise Drive, but town regulations did not allow commercial kennels in the Industrial-2 zone. This changed Thursday night.
The Monroe Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously approved Eltman’s application to amend town zoning regulations to allow the use, opening the door to her submitting a special exception permit application and site plan for the new business.
Mary Blackburn, a landscape architect with Solli Engineering in Monroe, presented the application during a hearing Thursday night. She said the facility would house pets for short-term stays when people go on vacations.
Commissioner Ryan Condon said he could see how a kenneling business with barking dogs outside would pose problems in a residential neighborhood, especially in light of the controversial history of the SPCA of Connecticut that had faced strong opposition from its neighbors on Spring Hill Road.
Condon said a commercial kenneling use seems more appropriate in an industrial zone.
“I wouldn’t have a problem at this location,” he said, adding there has to be oversight. “Snowbirds, people go on vacation sometimes and can’t take their pets with them. This is a great opportunity.”
Commissioner Robert Westlund said the town wants to be pro-business and there is a need for a pet boarding kennel.
The application was approved 5-0, with Condon, Westlund, Dominic Smeraglino III, Chairman Michael O’Reilly and Vice Chairman Bruno Maini all voting yes.
Blackburn said the commercial kennel to permit the boarding of animals would follow the state of Connecticut’s definition:
An establishment, licensed by the State of Connecticut, where dogs and/or cats are temporarily housed, fed, and cared for. Such facilities may include overnight or short-term stays and may provide ancillary activities such as exercise, play, or training. The sale and/or breeding of dogs and/or cats and the provision of veterinary services are prohibited.
Blackburn said buildings have a 100-foot setback in an I-2 zone in Monroe and proposed requiring one parking space per 350 square feet (2.86 spaces per 1,000 square feet), like Brookfield does.
She had also proposed allowing commercial kennels in I-1 zones as well, but O’Reilly pointed out that those zones are only one acre.
“We could modify it not to allow it in an I-1 zone,” Blackburn said.
“That would be better,” O’Reilly replied.
Commission leadership
The Planning and Zoning Commission appointed leaders for the new year Thursday.
Members unanimously voted to reappoint O’Reilly as chairman, Maini as vice chairman and Condon as secretary.
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