PUBLIC HEARING: Consider Home Occupation Permit for Commercial Kennel (Project #18-119); Case of Rebecca Bader

The City of Ramsey has recieved an application from Rebecca Bader (the "Applicant") for a Home Occupation Permit for a Commercial Dog Kennel at 17860 Nowthen Blvd (the "Subject Property").

The Applicant is requesting a Conditional Use Permit to maintain up to 25 dogs on the Subject Property at any given time.

City Staff attempted to notify all property owners within 350 feet of the Subject Property of the request via U.S. mail and published a notice of public hearing in the Anoka Union Herald, the City's official newspaper.

The applicant has applied for a Conditional Use Permit for a home occupation of a Dog Kennel business at 17860 Nowthen Blvd NW, which is located in the R-1 Rural Developing District. The applicant and their employee will both reside on the property and together will run this home occupation. There will be no other employees or home occupations on the property. The acreage of the parcel of land is 37.91 acres, with approximately 32 acres of wetland.

The applicant has prior experience in running a home remodeling business and applicant is a professional accountant. The applicant has prior experience with caring for shelter and rescue dogs, including their own dogs, one who suffers from epilepsy and the other with severe allergies. The applicant has two years of volunteer experience with the Animal Humane Society.
There will be two dogs living on the property in the primary building, and will not be associated with the business.

Accessory Building
The business will be run exclusively in the existing accessory building and within a fence to be constructed on the property. The proposed kennel would hold a maximum of 25 dogs in 4’ x 8’ enclosures, each equipped with a dog bed and a water dish.  The existing accessory building is 1,200 square feet, measuring 30’ x 40’. The applicant has plans to renovate the accessory building to have heating, air conditioning, ventilation, a small office/ check in area, 25 – 30 square foot dog kennels and insulation and sheetrock on the building walls.

The accessory building is in the rear yard of the property and is located more 1000 feet from the nearest dwelling to the southeast and more than 500 feet from the nearest dwelling to the northwest. This is the only accessory building on the parcel.

Fencing
The applicant is proposing a 6 foot, 4,200 square foot, chain link, enclosed fence, located in the rear yard for the dogs. Dogs will not be permitted to run at large. The applicant has discussed the wetland boundary with the Anoka Conservation District and verified that the proposed fenced area is not within the wetland. Documentation of this was not included in the application.

Traffic
The applicant indicates that no more than 5 round trips per day will be made from customers. There will be parking made available on the Subject Property for customers.
 
Additional permits needed if CUP is granted:

• Interior renovations to the accessory structure to provide HVAC, an office area and the construction of the dog enclosures
• Gravel driveway expansion – there is an existing driveway, applicant would like to extend this driveway to the accessory building. Applicant would like the parking pad to be 35 feet at the accessory building which is greater than the 20 ft allowed by current zoning for traffic lanes.
• 6 foot, 4,200 square foot fenced play area in the rear yard.
• One sign to be attached to the accessory building
• One sign which would be visible from Nowthen Blvd NW, this would require a variance that at this time staff would not support.

Alternative 1: Recommend City Council approve a Conditional Use Permit to allow a Commercial Dog Kennel on the Subject Property. Given that the Subject Property is nearly 40 acres and located a signficant distance away from nearest dwellings, the proposed dog kennel would not be a nuisance. Staff supports this alternative.

Alternative 2: Recommend City Council deny the request for a Conditional Use Permit to allow a Commercial Dog Kennel on the Subject Property. This action would prohibt the applicant from opening a Commerical Dog Kennel. Staff does not support this alternative as the property is of a sizeable acreage and given the great distance from the accessory building and nearby dwellings it would create a minimal impact on the neighborhood.

All costs associated with processing the Application are the responsibility of the Applicant.
  

Staff recommends approval of the Commerical Dog Kennel on the Subject Property.

Motion to recommend City Council adopt Resolution #18-119 approving a Commercial Dog Kennel on the Subject Property.