Ann Arbor Planning Commission postpones action on new Arbor Dog Daycare expansion proposal
The owners of Arbor Dog Daycare will be forced to wait at least two more weeks for a decision on their proposed expansion.
The Ann Arbor Planning Commission voted unanimously to postpone any action on the daycare’s expansion at Tuesday's meeting. The project would see the daycare grow from 3,200 square feet to a maximum of 8,800 square feet at its current location at 2856 S. Main St.
The expansion would allow a maximum of 125 dogs on the site, five times the current amount, and 15 outside at any one time.
Owners Jon and Margaret Svoboda said they felt like an end to the long process was coming soon.
The Arbor Dog Daycare owners are trying to convince planning commissioners to let them expand.
“I think we’re right on the edge of a solution for everyone,” Jon Svoboda said. “It’s regrettable that less than one-third of 1 percent is holding this project up, but with that said, we’ll address their concerns as well.”
Tuesday’s meeting marked the third time the Planning Commission considered the daycare’s proposed expansion. It voted in September to approve the expansion, but not with the required six votes. The commission voted on Oct. 6 to reconsider the project.
Chief among the concerns voiced by commissioners who voted no was noise from barking dogs. The Svobodas have been working with residents in the neighboring Barlmoral Park Condos. Margaret Svoboda said she personally went knocking on doors on three separate days to meet with residents and pass along her contact information.
The decision on whether the commission will vote again on the daycare plans will be made by Oct. 26. In the meantime, city staff will be researching what possible stipulations can be added, such as reviews by the commission, what decibel level would consider dog barking a nuisance and clauses if the Svobodas happen to sell the property.
Tim Thieme was one of the residents from Barmoral Park Condos who attended the meeting to speak against the project, albeit reluctantly. Thieme lives in a unit near the “dog run,” where dogs go to the bathroom and run around on the south end of the property. He said the noise is already annoying.
“I applaud the day care for trying to come up with a solution that’s amenable for everybody,” he said, “but to expand operations from 25 dogs to potentially 125 dogs, even if there’s just 15 outside, there will be continuous barking all the time.”
Commissioners said the majority of letters and e-mails they received from residents around the daycare supported the project, but they still worried about residents with concerns.
“It’s clear the owners are making an effort and these issues are being brought to their attention for possibly the first time,” Commissioner Kirk Westphal said. “I’m willing to rehear their proposal (with adjustments), but it doesn’t seem to warrant approval at this point.”
One adjustment to the special exception the Planning Commission is considering is that dogs barking incessantly would be removed from the “dog run” area immediately.
Jon Svoboda said the daycare recently changed its policy so that either of the two staff members who observe the dogs in that area could remove a barking dog without having to ask a manager, which was the previous policy. Dogs will only be allowed in the dog run area from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays.
Commissioner Tony Derezinski said he believes only Zingerman’s Delicatessen worked as well with its neighbors as Arbor Dog Daycare. He pointed to the staff’s recommendation to approve it and the support from the owner of the neighboring condominium complex as major positives.
“There may be objections, but there are objections to every project,” he said. “This is a business in our community that has been there already and wants to expand in away that would meet 99.9 percent of concerns. So do you go on that 0.1 percent or with overall picture?”
Kyle Feldscher covers K-12 education for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com.
Comments
Ron Granger
Thu, Oct 21, 2010 : 1:43 p.m.
From the article: 'Tim Thieme was one of the residents from Barmoral Park Condos who attended the meeting to speak against the project, albeit reluctantly. Thieme lives in a unit near the dog run, where dogs go to the bathroom and run around on the south end of the property. He said the noise is already annoying. I applaud the day care for trying to come up with a solution thats amenable for everybody, he said, but to expand operations from 25 dogs to potentially 125 dogs, even if theres just 15 outside, there will be continuous barking all the time.' -- That pretty much says it all, doesn't it? That, along with Jean Carlberg's experience ("I was there for an hour and a half, and I unfortunately have to report hearing continuous barking," she said. "I have dogs living in throughout my neighborhood so I'm accustomed to occasional barking, but this was almost continuous barking for over an hour. And I was parked on the Balmoral condo property, so I was across the street and practically at their windows."). They want to do a 5X expansion to boost profits, and they can't even manage the existing noise problem. It was reported that they are going door to door confronting neighbors. Is it any wonder that neighbors don't want to identify themselves for public pressure? Now we have the marginalization of anyone who dares to complain, with statements like Derezinski's: "wants to expand in a way that would meet 99.9 percent of concerns. So do you go on that 0.1 percent or with overall picture?" Wow. Is this Rawsonville, or Ann Arbor? What is Ann Arbor about, what does it stand for? Is it industrial expansion and profits, or is it greenbelts and great communities? Maybe those particular condos are too "low rent" to deserve the level of quiet demanded in more posh Ann Arbor neighborhoods? Do we rationalize that they already have a noisy road, so they have lost their right to complain about any other source of business noise? If the expansion is allowed, I think we'll hear how their business has a "right" to profit, and how residents have to accept some dog barking from the kennel. I hope we're not hearing the sound of a railroad that leads to more dog barking. It isn't just this one business, it is the precedent it sets for the future of Ann Arbor. The council seems to be considering this carefully, and that is encouraging. If the last comment thread was any indication, we'll now get the personal attacks from those defending the business's right to profit.
mkw
Wed, Oct 20, 2010 : noon
When the owner posted the video of her walk around the neighborhood you could hear a lot of dogs barking from inside the facility when she went up to the outdoor play area. The large dogs in the play area were not barking..it's the small dogs like mine that can really get going.
AA
Wed, Oct 20, 2010 : 9:49 a.m.
This is going to be shoved into this neighborhood: Ruf! Ruf! Ruf!, Ruf! Ruf! Ruf!!! I can hear the incessant barking already. Ruf! Ruf! Put this 'country business' in your city neighboorhood, not mine.
Mark A.
Wed, Oct 20, 2010 : 8:54 a.m.
Tom, to be accurate, it's not going to the bathroom that requires any training, but using the toilet. :)
xmo
Wed, Oct 20, 2010 : 8:53 a.m.
Where are the Animal Rights activist? 1)Dogs need day care to! 2)Business owners need quicker decisions. 3)The city needs more tax revenue. 3-0 let the dog day care expand!
Tom Teague
Wed, Oct 20, 2010 : 7:34 a.m.
Quoting the article: 'Thieme lives in a unit near the dog run, where dogs go to the bathroom and run around on the south end of the property.' Any dog using a bathroom is a well-trained dog indeed! Possibly there's a more accurate but still acceptable term for what dogs do when outside.